Adam Thomas has finally revealed the exact moment he believes his explosive feud with David Haye spiralled out of control on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa — and according to the actor, ITV viewers never even saw it happen.
The 37-year-old former Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star became one of the most talked-about contestants of the series after repeated clashes with boxer David Haye, with many viewers accusing the sportsman of bullying him throughout the competition.
Now, speaking candidly on his family podcast, Adam admitted things may have started as harmless “banter” — but one comment changed everything.
“It started off as banter when we were in the game and I think the tables turned,” Adam explained. “I know when the tables turned, I knew it and it was my own fault.”
The actor, who has openly discussed living with arthritis, said tensions had already been building in camp after David repeatedly insisted that “it’s all about winning” because of his sporting mentality.
Adam then responded with a line that made the whole camp laugh — but may also have triggered the fallout that followed.
“I just remember saying, ‘I feel pretty bad because I’m always saying to my kids that it’s all about taking part,’” he recalled.
But according to Adam, the real turning point came after he beat David in a trial and threw the boxer’s own words back at him.
“I said, ‘I thought you said it was all about winning, David.’ And I think that was the moment where I f***ed up,” he admitted.
Adam said that after that exchange, the atmosphere changed completely — and what had once felt playful suddenly became deeply uncomfortable.
“That’s when it was like, ‘game time now,’” he explained. “I know what banter is. I grew up with two brothers all my life. It’s back and forth. It’s supposed to be fun. But everything he was saying to me became personal and it crossed the line.”
The feud became one of the defining storylines of the ITV series, especially after David repeatedly questioned Adam’s arthritis flare-ups during trials.
Adam has previously described his condition as an autoimmune disease that causes “a s**t-load of pain,” but David accused him of only bringing it up at “convenient times.”
Speaking recently on This Morning, David doubled down on his comments and claimed Adam had become a “professional victim.”
“Whenever there was a trial, his sickness popped up and I just called that out,” David said. “He’s a super sweet guy but he is a professional victim.”
Despite the backlash surrounding the controversy, Adam ultimately went on to win the series — but his latest confession has left fans wondering just how much drama ITV viewers never actually got to see.
