Josie Gibson hits out at I’m A Celeb’s David Haye for leaning into the ‘dark side of fame’ and claims he ‘tried to play with Adam’s mind’ on ITV show

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Josie Gibson spoke out about the alleged bullying on ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’, criticizing David Haye for seemingly embracing the negative aspects of celebrity culture.

The 41-year-old TV personality, famous for her work on This Morning, discussed the latest season of the ITV competition during an interview with Richard Madeley and Kate Garraway on Good Morning Britain.

After the drama unfolded, Josie explained on Good Morning Britain that she believed David had been attempting to manipulate Adam while they were both on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

Josie, a contestant on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2023, told Richard and Kate that she thinks the Thomas brothers are genuinely good people – the kind of men any parent would be happy to have their daughters date.

What David Haye did to him, as seen in the podcast, revealed a negative side of fame. It seems Haye perceived him as someone who was succeeding and attempted to unsettle him mentally, which was unfair and inappropriate.

The finale of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! was filled with drama last week, as disagreements played out on television, leading to Sinitta leaving and Scarlett Moffat becoming visibly upset.

On the show, Ant and Dec struggled to control things when Jimmy Bullard claimed Adam Thomas had been ‘abusive, aggressive, and intimidating’ during a heated, swear-filled argument from last year’s recording.

Let me tell you, things got pretty heated on the show recently! Jimmy, a former footballer, felt the editing wasn’t showing the full story, claiming clips were deliberately left out during a particularly intense argument with Adam. Ultimately, Adam – you might recognize him from Waterloo Road – was named King of the Jungle, but not before a final clash with Jimmy.

After a heated argument during a pre-recorded challenge, where Adam reportedly used a highly offensive slur against him, Jimmy was given a chance to explain what happened on the show, hosted by Ant and Dec.

As the argument between Jimmy and Adam became more heated, former boxer David shared his thoughts. Eventually, Ant stepped in to end the discussion, telling Jimmy, “Let’s just agree to disagree,” after a lot of back-and-forth.

The incident occurred after weeks of claims that David, 45, and Adam were both engaging in bullying behavior. It began when David publicly called Adam ‘useless’ after Adam withdrew from a trial due to health concerns.

After unexpectedly leaving the show, Jimmy had a heated argument with Adam, reportedly involving Adam calling him a highly offensive name during a previously filmed challenge. Jimmy was furious about this insult.

Following the broadcast of the live final of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, over 1,000 viewers complained about the show.

A recent report from the broadcasting regulator revealed that 1,187 viewers complained about the live program, which aired from London.

This isn’t the first time viewers have complained to Ofcom about this show. Previously, 171 people submitted complaints during an episode featuring a disagreement between former boxer David, 45, and Adam.

David publicly called Adam ‘useless’ when Adam withdrew from a challenge because he wasn’t feeling well – a moment that Ant and Dec admitted made them feel uneasy.

This follows a statement from the show’s winner, Adam, who said he felt taken advantage of by ITV during the dramatic finale, which was filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.

While staying at a camp in Kruger National Park, the Waterloo Road actor had a difficult time due to a heated argument with former footballer Jimmy and claims that ex-boxer David had been bullying others.

Let me tell you, the season finale was a whirlwind! Things really escalated when Jimmy and David unexpectedly revisited their issues with Adam, and it all played out right there in front of a live audience. It was definitely a chaotic end to the season, to say the least!

During Wednesday’s episode of the Thomas Bros podcast, the actor discussed a falling out with fellow podcast hosts Ryan and Scott, believing the situation was exploited for dramatic effect as the show went on.

He believes that for David Haye and some of the other contestants, being on the show seems to be just for entertainment purposes.

This is purely for enjoyment. I’m not pretending to be someone else or following anyone’s lead – I’m here to have fun and make the most of this experience, that’s all.

What bothers me the most is that even after everything that happened on the show, David sent me a voice message congratulating me and saying how great it was. It’s really unsettling to me.

I replied to him, letting him know that I’m ending our connection. I wished him well, but told him I can’t continue this anymore.

The entire experience was really difficult. During the live show, I felt used and you can probably see that in how it ended. I felt caught up in everything, but it didn’t feel like it was focused on me at all.

Oh my gosh, I was SO upset to hear Adam talk about what David did! Adam’s always been so brave about sharing his mental health journey, and he said David was straight-up bullying him. It was heartbreaking to hear him explain that David really messed with his head and left him feeling totally vulnerable. I just feel so bad for Adam; it was awful to watch and even worse to hear him describe how it affected him.

He stated plainly, “What happened to me at camp was bullying, and there’s no question about it.”

It bothers me when people dismiss difficult experiences like mine as just harmless joking, because it’s actually quite serious and hurtful.

I didn’t say anything at the time because everyone around me dismissed the behavior as playful teasing. They’d say things like, “He’s just doing that because he cares about you,” so I just pretended it was okay and laughed it off.

He acknowledged that others might see the situation as harmless joking, and he understood that perspective. However, he insisted that, from his point of view, what happened was actually bullying, and he wanted to be honest about how it made him feel.

I also talked to David after leaving, and I asked him why he kept hurting me. I wanted to understand his reasons. He told me he didn’t dislike me personally – in fact, he said I was a good person – but he simply wanted to upset me and see me fall apart.

‘If that isn’t classed as bullying, then I don’t know what is.’ 

David criticized the actor after a health issue prevented him from participating in some of the show’s challenges, and unfairly called him someone who always plays the victim.

He insisted he wasn’t trying to appear helpless or blame others. “Everyone accuses me of playing the victim, but that’s the furthest thing from my intention,” he explained.

‘I just wanted it all to go away and I didn’t talk to anyone.’ 

Adam claims the boxer falsely said that ITV told him he had mental health problems following his collapse in camp—an event that wasn’t shown on television.

He asked me to come to the Bush Telegraph, and then told me he was concerned about my well-being. He said producers had asked him to check on me, and directly asked if I’d been upset about him while in the house.

That’s when I realized they were aware of what had happened, and that really bothered me. I’d never actually spoken about David or what he’d done to me, so it was upsetting to think they already knew.

Thomas says he figured out he’d been tricked by the boxer after confronting ITV producers in the Bush Telegraph, believing they had shared his private problems with Haye.

I was really upset when I went in, and they assured me they hadn’t discussed my mental health with David at any point.

I finally confronted David about everything, and he just admitted he’d completely fabricated the whole story. Honestly, I was stunned. It hit me hard – I realized he’d really played me, and it was awful.

He explained that the person really got to him, messing with his thoughts in a way others didn’t notice. It wasn’t about big gestures, but the small, subtle things they said that went unnoticed by everyone else.

He deeply disturbed me, but I recognize his ability to do so is a kind of power. The fact that he could diminish my spirit and energy feels like a strange acknowledgment of his strength.

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2026-04-30 12:52