Adam Thomas has been named the winner of Iām A Celebrityā¦ South Africa 2026, but the final will be remembered for far more than the result. What should have been a clean celebration for the former Emmerdale and Waterloo Road actor turned into a tense live broadcast, with old camp disputes spilling onto the stage moments before his victory was confirmed.
Thomas, 37, beat Sir Mo Farah in the final vote to become the latest all-star āJungle Legendā. Harry Redknapp finished third, while Craig Charles placed fourth. Yet instead of the usual emotional winnerās moment, the finale became dominated by a heated exchange involving Jimmy Bullard and David Haye, both of whom challenged Thomas over his behaviour during the series.
Adam Thomas wins after tense final showdown
The final episode had all the ingredients of a major reality TV ending: returning favourites, public voting, difficult trials and a final jungle banquet. But the mood shifted when the row between Thomas and Bullard was brought back into the spotlight.
The dispute dated back to a trial earlier in the week, when Bullard chose to quit. Because Thomas was paired with him, the decision initially put Thomasā own place in the competition at risk. After discussions among the remaining campmates, he was allowed to continue, but the incident clearly left tension behind.
During the live final, Bullard accused Thomas of being aggressive during their earlier clash and claimed parts of the exchange had not been shown to viewers. Thomas said he accepted responsibility for his actions, but insisted there was no lasting bad feeling on his side.
The exchange became more uncomfortable when David Haye stepped in and questioned the way events had been presented on screen. Haye suggested viewers had not seen the full picture and accused the programme of shaping the edit in Thomasā favour. His comments drew a strong reaction from others on stage, with Sinitta and Gemma Collins defending Thomas before walking off during the argument.
Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly were forced to manage the increasingly tense discussion. Ant pushed back against suggestions that Thomasā behaviour had been as extreme as claimed, while Dec attempted to move the show back toward the final result.
For viewers, it created a rare reality TV moment where the drama of the reunion-style discussion overtook the winner announcement itself. Within minutes, Adam Thomas, Jimmy Bullard, David Haye and the live final were being widely discussed online.
Why the final became so controversial
The tension around Thomasā win did not appear suddenly. Across the series, he had been involved in emotional and difficult moments, including a public fallout with Haye and the trial dispute with Bullard. The all-star format also added pressure, as many contestants already knew how intense the Iām A Celebrity environment could become.
Reality shows often compress stress, competition and personal conflict into a short period of time. In this case, the final made those tensions impossible to ignore. Instead of contestants simply reflecting on their jungle experience, the conversation turned into a live dispute about behaviour, editing and fairness.
Thomasā supporters argued that the pressure of the camp should be taken into account and that he had shown remorse. Others felt the concerns raised by Bullard and Haye deserved to be heard. That divide is one reason the story has travelled so quickly across entertainment news and social media.
According to ITV News, Thomas was crowned during a final that also saw Farah finish second and Redknapp take third place. The broadcasterās coverage noted that the episode became chaotic as disagreements from the series returned during the live show.
After the result, the emotional tone around Thomasā victory continued. Ashley Roberts later said she hoped Thomas would be able to enjoy the win, suggesting the confrontation may have made him feel as though he did not fully deserve the moment. Scarlett Moffatt also backed him, saying he had been a friend to others in camp and deserved his title.
Gemma Collins, who walked off during the tense exchange, later described the experience in camp as tough but positive, questioning why the final had become so negative. Her reaction reflected the feeling among some contestants that the argument had overshadowed weeks of shared challenges, trials and bonding.
The absence of Beverley Callard also added an emotional note to the final. Ant and Dec sent support to the actress after she was unable to attend the live event, following her earlier exit from camp due to health concerns that were later linked to a breast cancer diagnosis.
For Thomas, the win adds another major chapter to a career already familiar to UK television audiences. He first built a loyal following through soap roles before expanding into entertainment and reality television. Winning an all-star edition of Iām A Celebrity gives him a new place in the showās history, even if the circumstances around the final were far from smooth.
The result also shows how powerful audience support can be during reality TV controversies. Despite the criticism raised on stage, viewers still voted Thomas as the winner. That suggests many either connected with his journey, accepted his apology, or felt the wider context of the show mattered more than one heated incident.
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The 2026 final will likely be remembered as one of the most dramatic endings in the showās history. Adam Thomas left with the title, Sir Mo Farah left as runner-up, and the rest of the cast left viewers with a debate that is unlikely to fade quickly.
In the end, Thomasā victory was official, but the night belonged equally to the fallout. The crown may have been settled by public vote, but the argument around the final has ensured this series will remain a major talking point long after the jungle lights went out.
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