David Haye plans to sue ITV for £10MILLION over claims ‘editing’ on I’m A Celeb did ‘irreparable damage to his brand’ after feud with Adam Thomas

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David Haye is considering legal action against ITV, claiming the conflict with Adam Thomas on ‘I’m A Celebrity… South Africa’ has seriously harmed his reputation and brand.

The 45-year-old boxer has reportedly asked his lawyers to contact ITV, requesting a thorough review of how the show was edited.

David faced accusations of bullying Adam, who ultimately won the competition, and this behavior was captured on camera last year. He also received criticism from viewers for his remarks about women.

The Sun reports that the former athlete believes the show’s editors intentionally portrayed him as the ‘bad guy’.

According to a source, David is extremely upset and angry about how the show has been managed. He believes ITV is unfairly blaming him for any problems.

He points to instances, like the way Gemma Collins was portrayed – through editing and subtle cues like eye-rolls – to make a comment seem particularly critical.

I’m following this case closely, and it’s a significant one. My client is seeking financial compensation – potentially up to £10 million, according to his legal team – to cover the income he’s lost due to what we consider to be damaging and false claims made publicly. We believe these claims have seriously impacted his ability to earn a living, and we’re determined to recover those losses.

According to a source, David had been discussing a potential show with Netflix, but those plans didn’t work out. It’s also believed that other sponsorship opportunities have been put on hold.

David has reportedly enlisted the services of £500-per-hour legal firm Gatehouse Chambers. 

Daily Mail has contacted representatives of David Haye and ITV for comment.  

During the recent live finale, all twelve contestants were in the studio with Ant and Dec. Things got heated when David confronted Adam with an angry outburst, and Ant and Dec playfully criticized the boxer’s controversial views on women.

The hosts revisited some of the show’s most frightening scenes, like a heated argument at camp and some uncomfortable things David said.

The show kicked off with a humorous look back at the previous season, joking that the campmates had endured Gemma Collins’ loud snoring – and, even more frighteningly, David Haye’s opinions on women.

Ant then pretended to square up to the sportsman for a fight as the audience laughed. 

The show featured a tense argument between Adam and fellow camper Jimmy Bullard, which was brought up during the finale. David couldn’t resist sharing his thoughts on the situation.

When David learned Adam had won, he challenged the actor, asking if it was fair for him to win considering he’d used a derogatory slur against Jimmy while in South Africa.

‘Yeah after that challenge I do think I deserve to win,’ Adam proudly replied. 

David suggested, “Maybe you should ask Jimmy if he feels he earned the win? A lot of relevant footage was left out. I really like Jimmy, but it seems like Adam is portraying himself as the victim.”

Dec hit back: ‘David, you were gone. You weren’t even there!’ 

“Just let the finalists speak!” Adam exclaimed, as Gemma reached out to restrain David amidst the growing chaos in the studio.

On April 21st, during a heated discussion on This Morning, David challenged Adam, accusing him of pretending to be a victim after Adam claimed David had bullied him.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe the drama! David and Adam… it was a MESS in the jungle. Honestly, David was just constantly getting at Adam, and everyone started saying it was basically bullying! They kept showing these little digs and comments David made, and it was awful to watch. I was so stressed for Adam, it was just non-stop tension!

David once harshly criticized an actor, calling him ‘useless’ for using health reasons to avoid attending a court case.

During an interview on ITV’s daytime program, David explained his remarks to Adam were just playful teasing. He also criticized Adam for exaggerating his difficult experience and portraying it as the most challenging period of his life.

The athlete stated that he and Adam were fine after the event, and he’d talked to Adam only the day before this interview.

You know, I’ve been talking to people about tough times lately, and it’s amazing how differently we all experience hardship. I was speaking with Adam, and he genuinely felt like he’d gone through the absolute worst experience of his life. Honestly, it made me reflect – everyone’s baseline is different, and what feels incredibly difficult for one person might not be the same for another. It just highlights how subjective those feelings can be.

I got along well with everyone, including Adam. We’ve continued to talk since then, but I believe he actually encouraged the bullying. It seems like he’s trying to portray himself as the victim, even during the legal proceedings.

Adam, who used to be on Emmerdale, has psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune disease. This made dealing with tiredness and not getting enough fluids particularly difficult for him while filming in the jungle.

David admitted to pretending to be ill whenever a court date approached. He explained that these illnesses conveniently occurred right before his trials, which is why he believes it’s suspicious.

‘He’s a super sweet guy, but I think he hams up, he’s a professional victim.’ 

Throughout the show, many viewers have criticized the boxer, calling him both disrespectful towards women and disappointing.

Scarlett Moffatt and Ashley Roberts were surprised and upset when David revealed he’d been dating someone he described in a harsh way – he said she was attractive but had a difficult personality.

He mentioned wanting to have a get-together with everyone after this, and that his girlfriend, Sian Osborne, is a great cook – she can prepare meals for around 60 people. They often host parties in Costa Rica.

During a conversation, Ashley from the Pussycat Dolls suddenly asked, ‘Who is this woman?’ David then began to describe her, saying, ‘She’s tall, with blue eyes…’

Sinitta then said: ‘She sounds like she’s drop dead gorgeous.’

David replied: ‘She’s lovely, she’s got the personality of a proper ugly bird.’

When Scarlett and Ashley pressed him to explain, David said that many women who don’t consider themselves traditionally beautiful develop strong personalities to make up for it, using humor and wit to connect with others. He pointed out that people often look past physical appearance once they’re drawn in by someone’s personality.

There’s a term for when girls who weren’t considered attractive in their youth blossom into beauty as they age, but still retain the insecurities or mannerisms they developed during those less confident times. It’s sometimes called ‘Ugly Duckling Syndrome’.

In an interview with The Sun, Sian said she took the comment as a compliment. She joked that she’s become so familiar with David’s way of speaking, her family finds it funny.

David once told me I had the personality of an ugly bird—his way of saying I was so vibrant and interesting that my appearance didn’t matter. It was a much better compliment than anything I ever received in the modeling world.

Sian argued that people who were bothered by his remarks were actively seeking something to be offended by.

She also said David represents traditional masculinity, something she feels many women haven’t experienced lately.

Reports surfaced this week claiming David made offensive remarks because he didn’t have a way to verify they were appropriate, specifically using AI tools.

It’s been claimed that he previously relied on artificial intelligence to verify the accuracy of everything he said in speeches, on social media, and in public appearances.

According to a source, he’s always been focused on the game, making smart decisions to survive, and understanding how the camp works – not on deliberately upsetting people.

‘Those who know him best understand there was no malice behind the remark.

As soon as AI tools became available, he began using them consistently to ensure his comments weren’t offensive.

A source close to him told The Sun that the comment was a familiar habit, something he often does for comfort. However, he couldn’t rely on that behavior while on the show. People who know him well say there was no harmful intent behind what he said.

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2026-04-29 01:20