David Haye branded Adam Thomas ‘weak willed’ and told him to ‘build his mental resilience’ as he issued a blistering response to the I’m A Celeb co-star’s ‘crying and moaning’ podcast on Thursday amid their ongoing bullying row.
Adam’s time at the Kruger National Park camp was overshadowed by his feud with the ex-boxer David, 45, and their reunion during Friday’s live final was explosive.
As the main show aired Adam took to Instagram to say that David ‘broke me and pushed me to my limits’ while filming the series, including berating him for not doing a trial as he felt unwell.
Waterloo Road actor Adam, 37, spoke on his Thomas Brothers podcast about his time on the show on Wednesday, saying of David: ‘What happened to me in camp was bullying, that is the matter of fact about it – it was bullying.’
Now David has issued a savage reply to the podcast comments, saying in a new video on Thursday: ‘I’ve just taken the time to listen to the podcast. Very interesting.
‘It was enlightening. Dishing out banter to me and then losing the banter game when I give it back to him – he just starts crying and moaning and he’s somehow still spun it so that he’s the victim.
‘He’s done this hour chat with his brothers… I put it in double speed as I couldn’t listen to the waffle, all three of them were b***hing and whining and moaning. He won!
David Haye branded Adam Thomas ‘weak willed’ and told him to ‘build his mental resilience’ as he issued a blistering response to the I’m A Celeb co-star’s ‘crying’ podcast on Thursday
Waterloo Road actor Adam, 37, spoke on his Thomas Brothers podcast about his time on the show on Wednesday, saying of David: ‘What happened to me in camp was bullying…’
‘I don’t think he’s been around proper guys who have a bit of back and forth and that does build your mental resilience to jibes. I’ve had plenty of that – whenever something goes wrong I do get shit for it, that’s what real guys do.
‘The little light sprinkling of primary school banter that I gave which was so gentle – he nearly had an emotional breakdown over it. The amount of banter he received was significantly less than what he dished out. And this message now is another form of banter.’
He continued: ‘Everyone now is so damn soft it makes me sick. You are rewarded for the softer and weaker you are. I’m interested in the smaller amount of people who are saying ‘David makes sense’.
‘You’re nearly 40 years old and you’re moaning TV competition! You get £100,000 to give to the charity of your choice, you’ve made more money in a day than most people make in a year.
‘Maybe your weak fanbase want you weak energy. There is lots of stuff that’s going to come to light that kind of contradicts his story that I’m looking forward to seeing the light of day…’
On the podcast with his brothers Adam said he felt exploited by ITV during the show’s explosive live final on Friday evening.
His time on the show was overshadowed by a volatile rows with former footballer Jimmy Bullard and David.
But his unveiling as the pre-recorded show’s winner during a live instalment, hosted by Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at London’s Hammersmith Apollo Theatre, ended in chaos as Jimmy and David reignited their feud with Adam in front of a stunned studio audience.
Reflecting on his experience on the podcast, he suggested his fallout with the two campmates was taken full advantage of as Friday’s show progressed.
He said: ‘I think for David [Haye] and some of these campmates who have come out, I feel like it’s just a show to them, do you know what I mean?
‘It’s entertainment. It’s fun. And for me it’s not about entertainment, I’m not playing a character, I’m not here for anyone else’s agenda but my own, to have a f***ing laugh and enjoy this experience.
‘And I feel that’s the most disturbing thing for me, looking at David, and even after the show and everything he did, he sent me a voice note saying ‘Ah mate, what a great show that was, so happy you won, congratulations.’
‘I just sent him a message back and said look, I think this is where I draw the line, I hope you find happiness bro, but I’m done now.
‘It’s hard, the whole experience. That live show, I just felt like I’d just been exploited, and I think you can see it, at the end of it. I felt like I was in the midst of it all, and it wasn’t even about me.’
Now David has issued a savage reply to the podcast comments, saying in a new video on Thursday: ‘I’ve just taken the time to listen to the podcast. Very interesting…’
On the podcast with his brothers Adam said he felt exploited by ITV during the show’s explosive live final on Friday evening
Adam’s time at the Kruger National Park camp was overshadowed by his feud with the ex-boxer David, 45, and their reunion during Friday’s live final was explosive
An emotional Adam, who has been open about his struggles with mental health issues, also described David’s actions in camp as definite ‘bullying’ and claimed the former boxer left him in an emotionally vulnerable state after ‘getting inside his head.’
‘What happened to me in camp was bullying, that is the matter of fact about it – it was bullying,’ he said.
‘And I don’t think it’s fair, for people who were going through what I was going through in the real world, to pass it off as banter, because it’s not.
‘And the reason why I didn’t speak up for myself when I should have done is because when I was in camp, everyone was passing it off as banter, as ‘Oh, he’s just doing it because he loves you.’ So I laughed it off. I laughed it off and pretended that it was alright.’
He added: ‘I can see it from the other campmates’ lens why it may seem like it was banter and not bullying, I understand it. But I’m telling you my truth, and how I felt in there, and it was bullying.
‘I can also tell you that I spoke to David when I got out, and I asked him why. Why did you keep doing this to me? Why did you do it? And he told me, ‘I’ve never met a nicer guy, I just wanted to break you.’
‘If that isn’t classed as bullying, then I don’t know what is.’
The actor was targeted by David after a medical condition ruled him out of certain Bushtucker Trials, prompting the ex-boxer to label him a ‘professional victim.’
‘Everyone says you’re playing the victim, that is the last thing that I ever want to do is play the victim, that is the last thing,’ he said.
‘I just wanted it all to go away and I didn’t talk to anyone.’
According to Adam, the boxer pretended ITV had informed him of his mental health issues after he fainted in camp – an incident that was not aired by the broadcaster.
‘He got pulled to the Bush Telegraph, and then he came out and he sat me down and said, ‘I’ve been worried about your mental health. They’ve told me to stop now. Have you been crying about me in there?’ he recalled.
‘So that was when I thought they know, they know what’s been going on, and that upset me more, because it’s the fact that I’ve never once talked about [David] or mentioned what [David’s] done to me.’
Adam claims he realised he’d been duped by the boxer after storming into the Bush Telegraph for a showdown with ITV producers, convinced they had told David of his personal issues.
‘So I’ve gone in there breaking down and they said, ‘Adam, we’ve never once said anything to David about your mental health or any of that.’
‘I asked David when I got out and he said ‘Yeah I just made it all up.’ I was like, wow, you really manipulated the s*** out of me.’
He added: ‘He got in my head like you wouldn’t believe, and that’s the thing, not everyone sees that. Nobody sees the little comments he makes.
‘He mind-f***** me. It’s a gift, what he has. This energy I have, this light, for him to take that away from me, that’s a gift.’
It comes as David is reportedly planning to sue ITV for ‘irreparable damage to his brand’ following his feud with Adam on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.
He is said to have instructed his lawyers to send a letter to ITV and he is demanding a full investigation into the show edit.
According to The Sun, the retired athlete feels he was deliberately edited to be the show’s ‘pantomime villain’.
A source said: ‘David is absolutely gung-ho about all of this – he is incandescent with rage about how the whole series has been handled and feels he’s being made a scapegoat by ITV.
‘He can cite examples – such as the Gemma Collins fat-shaming moment, which used clever editing and snide eye-rolls, etc to make his remark look damning.
‘He is going for damages as a result of the ‘propaganda’ aired against him to recover lost earnings, which lawyers believe could total up to £10million.’
The insider added that David was previously in talks about a show with Netflix which has since fallen through and other brand deal work is also thought to have been paused.
David has reportedly enlisted the services of £500-per-hour legal firm Gatehouse Chambers.
Daily Mail has contacted representatives of David Haye and ITV for comment.
The ‘fat-shaming’ remark about Gemma referred to an episode where the campmates were debating who would do a trial and Gemma said: ‘We all need to eat tonight,’ to which David replied: ‘You need to eat tonight.’
Adam discussed his jungle experience with his brothers Ryan and Scott (pictured) on Wednesday
During the live final, all 12 contestants joined hosts Ant and Dec in the studio and intense scenes saw David go in for the knockout in a rant against Adam
Gemma said: ‘You know what I’m like without food.’ David replied: ‘Where were you last night and where was I last night? What did I eat last night?’
During the live final, all 12 contestants joined hosts Ant and Dec in the studio and intense scenes saw David go in for the knockout in a rant against Adam while Ant and Dec took a swipe the boxer’s ‘terrifying theories about women.’
The presenters went through some of the series’ ‘scariest moments’ – which included an intense camp row and some of David’s questionable topics of conversation.
Opening the show, they said: ‘This year’s campmates have survived Gemma Collins snoring… and the most terrifying thing of all, David Haye’s theories about women.’
Ant then pretended to square up to the sportsman for a fight as the audience laughed.
The pre-recorded series also saw Jungle Legend Adam come head-to-head in a heated argument with campmate Jimmy, a moment that was addressed during the final – and David couldn’t help but comment.
Upon hearing that Adam had won, David confronted the actor and questioned whether he ‘deserved to win after calling Jimmy the c-word’ in South Africa.
‘Yeah after that challenge I do think I deserve to win,’ Adam proudly replied.
‘Don’t you think you should ask Jimmy whether he thinks he deserves to win?’ David added. ‘Because there was a lot of that stuff cut out of it. Listen, I’ve got nothing but love for Jimmy, I think it was just… Adam plays the victim.’
Dec hit back: ‘David, you were gone. You weren’t even there!’
Adam added: ‘Will you just let the finalists talk?’ as Gemma put an arm out to hold David back while the studio erupted into chaos.
During a fiery This Morning interview on April 21, David accused Adam of ‘playing the victim’, after facing claims he ‘bullied’ the actor.
The boxer and the Waterloo Road star had a fractious relationship during their time together in the jungle with David being accused of ‘bullying’ after a series of swipes towards Adam were aired.
In one instance, this saw David brand the actor ‘useless’ for excusing himself from a trial due to his health.
In his appearance on the ITV daytime show, David defended his comments to Adam as ‘banter’. He accused the Emmerdale star of trying to gain more sympathy by describing his ordeal as ‘the worst time of his life.’
The sportsman insisted he and Adam had been on good terms after the show, and he’d spoken to him just a day before the interview.
David said: ‘Some people had the worst time of their life, Adam for instance, he said that was the worst of his life, I don’t know how soft his life has been!
‘I got on with everybody, even Adam. I’ve been chatting to him since, but this whole, the bullying thing, he fanned the flames, I think the angle is to play the victim card, even in the trials.’
Former Emmerdale actor Adam has autoimmune condition psoriatic arthritis and struggled with fatigue and dehydration in the jungle.
However, David claimed he ‘played a sickness,’ whenever a trial was due to take place, adding: ‘It flares up in convenient times as well and that’s what I’m saying.
‘He’s a super sweet guy, but I think he hams up, he’s a professional victim.’
Over the course of the series, viewers at home have branded the boxer a ‘misogynist’ and ‘pathetic’.
Campmates Scarlett Moffatt and Ashley Roberts were left in shock when David bragged about dating a ‘lovely’ woman ‘with the personality of a proper ugly bird’.
Speaking about his girlfriend Sian Osborne, David said: ‘It’d be good to get everyone together as well, after this. Sian can cook, for like, 60 people. We have these parties in Costa Rica…’
Pussycat Dolls star Ashley interjected: ‘Who is this woman?’ In response, David went on to describe her as: ‘Tall, blue eyes…’
Sinitta then said: ‘She sounds like she’s drop dead gorgeous.’
David replied: ‘She’s lovely, she’s got the personality of a proper ugly bird.’
As Scarlett and Ashley asked what he meant by the comment, David clarified: ‘Most ugly girls realise they’ve got to have a personality to banter, tell jokes and s**t. People overlook the fact they’re not aesthetically amazing straight away.
‘What’s it called – Ugly Duckling Syndrome? When girls are ugly when they start off, then get pretty as they get older. But they’ve still got the personality of when they’re ugly.’
Speaking in an interview, David’s girlfriend Sian later told The Sun: ‘I consider it a compliment – a big one. I’m fluent in David by now and my family find it hilarious.
‘When David tells me I have the personality of an ugly bird – meaning a girl so full of life and character that her looks become irrelevant – he is giving me something the entire modelling industry never once did.’
Sian went on to claim those who were upset by his comments were looking to be offended about something.
She also claimed David is ‘the embodiment of masculinity’ which she believes women are no longer used to.
It was revealed that David allegedly made the ‘sexist’ comments because he couldn’t use AI to ‘check if his comments were safe’.
He used to use artificial intelligence to fact check all of his speeches and public, social media comments, it is alleged.
A source said: ‘His focus inside camp has always been the game, survival decisions and camp dynamics rather than trying to offend anyone.
‘Those who know him best understand there was no malice behind the remark. When AI started he started using it all the time to check he’s not offending someone before he comments.
The insider added to The Sun: ‘It’s a bit of a comfort blanket for him – but he didn’t have that in the jungle. Those who know him best understand there was no malice behind the remark.’
