I'm A Celebrity finalist Craig Charles has come to the defence of Adam Thomas, labelling the treatment he received during the live final as 'bullying' and 'bang out of order'. The 61-year-old actor and radio host spoke out on his BBC Radio show after the final descended into chaos, with David Haye exploding at eventual winner Adam Thomas, Jimmy Bullard launching a furious rant at hosts Ant and Dec, and both Sinitta and Gemma Collins storming off stage.
Craig Charles Speaks Out
Craig, best known for his roles in Red Dwarf and Coronation Street, had previously claimed that ITV had 'watered down' Adam's aggressive behaviour during a Bushtucker Trial. The incident in question occurred when Jimmy Bullard refused to participate in a trial, putting Adam's position at risk as they were partnered up. Speaking on his BBC Radio show, Craig said: 'There are two issues. Adam posted a lovely post about how he loved being with Harry, Mo and me in the jungle. On the telly last night, he made a fulsome apology to Jimmy Bullard. There's not much more the man can do. He's put his hands up and said: "I was out of order, I'm sorry, I really apologise".'
Craig continued: 'And then what happened to Adam last night, our new jungle legend, that was bang out of order, that was bullying, it was bang out of order.' He added that he had never before seen 'anyone so unhappy to win anything', referring to reports that Adam allegedly ripped up his crown and threw it to the ground after David Haye 'goaded him' in unseen footage from the final.
Support for Adam Thomas
Craig offered words of encouragement to the Emmerdale actor, saying: 'So if you're listening Adam, have a dance, forget about it, you're a jungle legend, life moves on, sorry for your pain and your trouble and we go again. Love to Scott and Ryan as well. Remember, I'm a friend of the family, I'm a friend of your dad's, I was at your dad's funeral. Congratulations mate, you'll come to enjoy it, you are a jungle legend.'
Earlier Comments on This Morning
Prior to the final, Craig had appeared on This Morning, where he struggled to get his words out as his voice cracked while discussing the feud surrounding Adam. He revealed that the incident between Adam and Jimmy was so intense that it was 'unbroadcastable'. Craig said: 'They watered down the Jimmy Bullard incident, it was unbroadcastable as it was. It was deeply traumatic and really upsetting, it was between the two of them. Adam was so wound up – he was so aggressive, like a coiled up spring. It looked like he was going to attack Jimmy. He was dropping f-bombs and c-bombs... It really was traumatic and they couldn't broadcast it, and I'm not blaming ITV, they couldn't [put it out].'
Craig added: 'They had to water down what [viewers saw] but they didn't water down our responses, so people were thinking, "Oh, it wasn't that bad, why are they picking on Adam?" We weren't picking on Adam at all, it was just what he did.'
Sinitta's Perspective
Meanwhile, Sinitta, who also appeared on the show, branded Adam 'angry and aggressive' during an appearance on Good Morning Britain. Speaking to Susanna Reid, Ed Balls and Richard Arnold, Sinitta said: 'I just thought, they had just blown it. You had a point, Jimmy didn't deserve, yes there was banter. It did feel like bullying to me. We've lost why we're here now. Now it does look like we're bullies. Yes, it was over the top. Adam was angry and aggressive, they couldn't show the whole thing.'
Sinitta, an anti-bullying ambassador, added: 'I'm a sensitive person, shouting and swearing in a negative way, lots of people pepper their language, I can handle that, I don't do that. When you're angry, using the bad swear words, to me, that feels like there is going to be a fight. It all happened afterwards. I'm an ambassador for anti bullying, I've grown up with people not wanting me to be there. I know what it's like. I don't tolerate it. I'm brave standing up for other people. With somebody else, my courage comes in, because it was the teasing behind my back, acting sad, getting in trouble, I didn't feel like I needed to protect. I definitely would have, there was no bullying there was boisterous testosterone. It wasn't bullying.'
