ITV I'm A Celeb winner 'awkwardly' crowned amid explosive fallout and 'car crash' grand finale

Lydia Davies
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 23:08:23 +0000

Adam Thomas has claimed victory in I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, taking the title of ultimate legend in tonight's dramatic live finale broadcast from London.

The 37-year-old Waterloo Road actor triumphed over Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, who secured second place, and former football manager Mr Harry Redknapp in third.

Red Dwarf star Mr Craig Charles was eliminated in fourth position earlier in the evening.

Mr Thomas follows Myleene Klass, who won the inaugural all-star edition in 2023, and was crowned by last year's champion, Sam Thompson.

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Speaking after his victory, Mr Thomas described his jungle experience as a "blast."

Sir Mo praised the experience as "amazing" and "entertaining", adding that he felt he had made his family proud.

Mr Redknapp said he had "met lots of nice people and really enjoyed it."

The celebratory moment was swiftly overshadowed by a fierce confrontation that erupted on stage moments before the result was announced.

David Haye, who had been embroiled in bullying allegations with Mr Thomas during the series, directly challenged the actor over a previous row with Jimmy Bullard.

"Do you think you deserve to win this after calling Jimmy the C-word a couple of times? Do you think you deserve to win it?" Mr Haye demanded.

Mr Thomas responded firmly: "I feel I deserve it, yeah."

Mr Bullard then offered his own account of the dispute, describing the earlier incident as "intimidating", "aggressive" and "abusive."

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Presenter Mr Ant McPartlin rejected that characterisation, stating he did not agree with Mr Bullard's version of events.

Mr Haye raised his voice during the exchange before Mr Declan Donnelly stepped in to intervene.

Gemma Collins and Sinitta abandoned the stage as the row intensified, unable to remain amid the escalating hostilities.

Ms Collins, who had formed a close friendship with Mr Thomas throughout the series, had attempted to defuse the situation by positioning herself between Mr Bullard and Mr Haye with her arms outstretched.

Sinitta declared as she departed: "You guys weren't there, you don't know what happened."

Mr Bullard demanded that ITV broadcast the unedited footage of the original argument, while the hosts worked to maintain control of proceedings.

Viewers watching at home branded the scenes "car crash TV" on social media.

"This is the best live TV we've seen in years. Absolute chaos," wrote one viewer on X.

Another described the atmosphere as "excruciatingly awkward", while others noted the palpable tension in the studio audience.

Before the live results were announced, the four finalists faced individual challenges in South Africa to secure their final meal together in camp.

Sir Mo tackled the Viper Pit, navigating an underground tomb containing 70 snakes to retrieve codes from concealed holes.

Mr Redknapp took on Heads Up, using only his tongue to release stars from boxes containing hairless rats, frogs and insects.

Mr Charles was strapped to a board and lowered face-first into a rat-filled pit, while Mr Thomas faced an eating trial featuring sheep's anus and vagina alongside a tarantula.

Though the series was filmed in November 2025, the finale played out live with the full cast present, with the exception of Beverley Callard, who was absent due to ongoing health struggles.

Mr Thomas appeared emotional and subdued as his victory was confirmed following the heated exchange.

Fans of the show were quick to take to social media to share their thoughts on Mr Bullard being crowned as winner.

"David and Jimmy have well and truly broken him. It should have been a happy and exciting moment for him, and he just looked like he was ready to call it a night," one sympathetic viewer penned.

Another said: "GOOD!! This should have been a nice moment for Adam, yet Jimmy/David have ruined that for him. Poor Adam looked deflated when they announced he’s won."

"A well-deserved winner!" a third wrote.

However, not everyone was pleased with the result.

"A sob story winning British reality TV? That’s a new one…" one person commented on X, as another said: "We all know ITV did this edit to make him look good as gold."

"Was hoping for Mo to win," complained another.