Behavioural experts have given their damning verdict over the I’m A Celebrity All Stars furore, insisting Adam Thomas was bullied and ‘repeatedly targeted’ by co-star David Haye.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, psychotherapist Hannah Lewis, added that the Waterloo Road actor, who won the series, was not complicit in any bullying – and that his explosive meltdown at footballer Jimmy Bullard was a frustrated ‘reaction’ to the boxer’s campaign against him.
She said: ‘There are clear moments where David consistently singled Adam out in different situations.
‘Regardless of the explosive final and Jimmy Bullard’s accusations against Adam, there are clear moments where David consistently singled him out in different situations.
‘Even when Adam confronted him and asked why he was being focused on so often, David would respond with a smirk and suggest it was because he liked him or was “looking out for him”.
‘That kind of response can come across as dismissive, and in some interpretations aligns with patterns seen in manipulative or undermining behaviour, particularly when it follows repeated criticism or pressure directed at the same individual.’
The All Stars season, which has been plagued by bullying rows and spats between feuding cast mates, descended into chaos during the live final on Friday.
Adam, 37, had the opportunity to speak to Jimmy, 47, after allegedly calling him the ‘c-word’ in a clash when the former footballer called ‘I’m a celebrity’ in one of the trials, which left the Emmerdale star in danger of going home.
Jimmy admitted he ‘threw Adam under the bus’ when he quit the trial, but said he had to leave for personal reasons and that if he didn’t say ‘I’m a celebrity’ in the challenge, he would not have received his full pay.
‘Listen, Adam and all of you can be upset with me and I absolutely threw him under the bus, I get it and I’ll wear that,’ Jimmy said. ‘But what I don’t stand on, is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating, I don’t stand on that.’
Pointing at hosts Ant and Dec, Jimmy added: ‘You were there and you didn’t show any of that.
‘You didn’t show any of the c-bombs, it’s a liberty,’ Jimmy fumed.
Ant argued: ‘The reason we didn’t air the c-bomb is because that is unbroadcastable. I was there and I didn’t think it was intimidating. I was there Jim.’
However, Hannah felt that Adam’s emotional outburst at Jimmy was a one-off.
Adam Thomas and David Haye at the live final on Friday, which descended into chaos
‘I wouldn’t class Adam’s behaviour towards Jimmy as bullying, as it doesn’t appear to be repeated or consistently targeted,’ she explained.
‘It can be interpreted as a reaction to his ongoing conflicts with David, which seemed to create a heightened sense of pressure and frustration that was then directed towards Jimmy in that moment.’
And what’s more, she said, Adam ‘apologised publicly during the live final and showed clear regret’.
‘This also points towards this being a one off lapse rather than a sustained pattern of behaviour,’ Hannah continued.
‘On that basis, it feels more accurate to view it as an isolated incident within a tense environment, rather than bullying, especially when compared with what many would describe as David’s more consistent pattern of targeting behaviour towards Adam over the course of the series.’
David, 45, who has been accused of ‘bullying’ Adam during the show, disagreed with Ant during the live final and backed the former footballer as he demanded answers as to why Adam was hurling obscenities at Jimmy.
Adam hit back at David, telling him to ‘let the finalists speak’, which received cheers from the crowd in the live audience.
During Adam’s opportunity to speak, he said: ‘I take full responsibility for my actions and yes emotions were definitely running high in that moment.
‘I have nothing but love for Jimmy in that moment. I have apologised to Jimmy on numerous occasions and I do take everything that he is saying into account and the only thing I can do is apologise.
‘That is not how I want to show myself off and I have never shown myself off like that before or after that. I do apologise Jimmy.’
The pair had a fractious relationship during their time together in the jungle, which was filmed in September last year.
In one instance, David branded the actor ‘useless’ for excusing himself from a trial for health reasons. He later defended his comments as ‘banter’.
Adam, 37, had the opportunity to speak to Jimmy, 47, after allegedly calling him the ‘c-word’ in an explosive clash when the footballer called ‘I’m a celebrity’ in one of the trials
Adam was crowned King of the Jungle during the series finale
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Phil MacLeod, hypnotherapist, psychologist and Founder of Thought Reader, said that Adam had his moment of victory ‘stolen’ by David.
‘I’m a Celeb’s recipe has always been to throw differing personalities together to gain tension and TV gold moments,’ he shared.
‘Whilst this year some of those strong personalities have bubbled over there has always been that element of control and management that has failed for whatever reason.
‘The main protagonist is David Haye who was actually eliminated earlier in the series but because of his dominant personality wanted to gain the headlines and be the centre of attention.’
Phil explained that even with the context that the show is ‘a highly edited narrative that pushes agendas and skews reality to make TV more interesting’, the ‘reality of the definition of bullying is when a person or persons tries to enforce their views on another by physical or mental means’, which ‘would appear to be the case here as rational debate has transcended into chaos’.
‘The truth is that no one will look back on this as the height of their career and will wish they had dealt with the situation differently because of negative press,’ he continued.
‘Adam rightly won but had his moment stolen by David.’
He thinks it’s likely that ‘the truth is somewhere between the cutting room floor and what you see’.
‘David and Jimmy are both adamant that the situation was more strong personalities clashing rather than bullying,’ he shared.
‘Context is everything and without the wider angle it’s hard to say they don’t have a point and that Adam, including his on screen outbursts, including offensive words and names was complicit in the story rather than a victim of bullying.
‘Through that lens it’s more escalation and agitation than actual bullying.
‘It’s fair to say on reflection no one has come out of this well and that the environment is more a shared responsibility than a one sided affair.’
The sportsman has since insisted he and Adam had been on good terms after the show, and said he’d spoken to him just a day before an ITV interview last week.
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.’
