I'm A Celebrity's chaotic live episode prompts thousands of Ofcom complaints amid 'bullying' row

Olivia Gantzer
Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:31:59 +0000

The I'm A Celebrity South Africa finale has sparked a wave of viewer outrage, with 1,187 complaints lodged with Ofcom following last Friday's chaotic live broadcast.

The majority of the complaints centred on allegations of bullying during the programme, which saw actor Adam Thomas crowned winner ahead of Mo Farah and Harry Redknapp.

What should have been a celebratory conclusion to the All Stars series instead descended into heated confrontations, with tensions between Mr Thomas, former footballer Jimmy Bullard and boxer David Haye erupting on stage.

The episode now ranks among the most complained about broadcasts of 2026, though it falls short of the year's most controversial programmes, including Love Island: All Stars, which attracted over 8,500 complaints for a single February episode.

The confrontation began when hosts Ant and Dec questioned Mr Bullard about his decision to abandon a trial mid-way through, a move that could have resulted in Mr Thomas's elimination from the competition.

The former footballer acknowledged he had "thrown him under the bus" but insisted he would not tolerate certain behaviour, stating: "What I don't stand for is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating.

"You didn't show none of the C-bombs, that's a liberty!"

Throughout the exchange, the former footballer repeated the phrase "abusive, aggressive and intimidating" nine times – wording that reportedly mirrors the show's contractual terms regarding unacceptable conduct.

Singer Sinitta then stormed onto the stage, telling the booing audience: "Enough, enough, I was there, and it was aggressive and abusive."

Host Ant countered that while some language had been "unbroadcastable", he did not believe Mr Thomas had behaved in an intimidating manner.

Mr Thomas has since spoken out about the ordeal on his podcast At Home With The Thomas Bros, revealing the profound toll the experience has taken on him.

The father of two described feeling "dead inside and numb," saying the situation had "eaten away at his soul" and that he would not have participated again even for "£10million".

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He recalled how the "colour drain from his face" when Ant and Dec announced his victory, likening the moment to his "worst nightmare" coming true.

Mr Thomas also disclosed that Mr Haye had sent him a voice note following the broadcast, congratulating him on his win and calling it "a great show".

His response was unequivocal: "I think this is where we draw the line and I hope that you find happiness bro, but I'm done."

The fallout from the finale continues to develop, with both Mr Bullard and Mr Haye reportedly exploring legal options against the broadcaster.

According to reports, Mr Haye is seeking as much as £10 million in damages, claiming ITV "deliberately" edited footage to portray him as a "pantomime villain" and made him appear "misogynistic, aggressive and a bully", causing "irreparable damage to his brand".

Mr Bullard is similarly said to be considering legal action over what he believes was an unfair representation of his dispute with Thomas.

ITV has firmly rejected these characterisations, with a spokesman stating: "We showed an accurate and fair representation of events."

Mr Thomas revealed on his podcast that Mr Haye had previously told him outside of camp: "You're the nicest guy I've ever met and I just wanted to break you."