Jimmy Bullard has found himself at the center of controversy after old footage from his 2014 appearance on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! resurfaced online. The former footballer, who recently quit the All Stars edition, has been criticized for his past behavior in the jungle, particularly his tense interactions with fellow campmate Jake Quickenden.
Resurfaced Footage Shows Tense Exchange
In a clip that has been widely shared on social media, Bullard is seen calling out Quickenden, a former X Factor singer, questioning his place in the lineup. Bullard remarks, "The more I'm getting to know you, the more I'm thinking what the f*** is this pr*** doing in here?" He continues, "What's he offering? What sort of skill have you got?" Bullard contrasts Quickenden's achievements with his own as a professional footballer and another campmate's world champion status, saying, "What the f*** have you done? Picked a mic up?"
Quickenden, visibly taken aback, responds humbly, "I don't even know why I'm here myself." Bullard later described his comments as "banter" and claimed Quickenden was "buckled" by them.
Social Media Backlash
Viewers have been quick to criticize Bullard's behavior. One user on Twitter/X wrote, "Let's look back at more of @jimmybullard bullying ways shall we!? #imaceleb #bullying #imacelebrity." Another on Instagram commented, "Can we all just take a second to remember how Jimmy Bullard also treated Jake Quickenden? I'll just leave this here. 'Banter though innit' #imaceleb #imacelebrity."
Recent Fallout with Adam Thomas
The resurfaced footage comes amid Bullard's recent fallout with Adam Thomas on the All Stars edition. Bullard decided to leave the show, citing Thomas's behavior as "abusive, aggressive and intimidating." He claimed that ITV's editing of the incident was misleading and expressed disappointment with hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, who he felt sided with Thomas.
Bullard is reportedly considering legal action against ITV. A source told The Sun, "He wanted everyone to see the shocking unedited version of the fight. Adam swore at him multiple times and most bystanders were shocked by his actions... He is talking to lawyers and looking into his ITV contract to see what grounds there are to sue."
An ITV spokesperson responded, "We showed an accurate and fair representation of events."
