Truth about terse car park clash between Jimmy Bullard and Ant McPartlin… and the secret recordings that could sink Insiders reveal backstage carnage to KATIE HIND – and why it could spell the end of I’m a Celeb

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ITV executives overseeing reality TV shows are particularly sensitive to the words ‘toxic’, ‘exploited’, and ‘lawyers’.

Those three words have been on everyone’s lips at ITV’s west London offices this week, as the company tries to manage its recent crisis.

What was predicted to be another successful season of the popular show, I’m A Celebrity, has become a complicated legal and public relations problem due to conflicts between the celebrity contestants.

While Adam Thomas won the recent ‘I’m A Celeb South Africa’ spin-off, the show will likely be most remembered for the heated arguments between Thomas and fellow contestant, ex-footballer Jimmy Bullard.

During one incident, Thomas became very angry and was caught on camera using abusive language towards Bullard. Footage that wasn’t shown to the public revealed he even used a particularly offensive slur.

The fallout from the on-screen argument has been so intense that channel executives worry it’s damaging the show’s popularity, even though it still draws over six million viewers.

According to a source, there’s real concern that this incident of aggressive behavior could seriously damage the reputation of ‘I’m A Celeb’. They say it goes against the show’s recent positive and uplifting tone, which has been its focus in recent years.

‘This is like something out of the early Noughties when reality TV was very dark.’

This happened after last week’s episode, where Bullard unexpectedly quit the trial he was doing with Thomas. He announced he couldn’t continue and famously shouted the show’s catchphrase, ‘I’m a celebrity… get me out of here!’ to stop everything.

You know, everyone says it’s all part of the game, but it really wasn’t for Thomas. He just completely lost it and exploded at Bullard, yelling, ‘Are you kidding me?!’ It was a shocking outburst, honestly.

He then shouted: ‘I am in there getting covered in f***ing ants!’

Bullard, 47, then told Thomas to calm down.

Footage that didn’t make the final cut shows Waterloo Road actor Thomas using a highly offensive slur against Bullard.

Thomas was particularly angry because the celebrities were now competing as pairs, and the pair who lost each challenge would be eliminated from camp.

Because Bullard chose to give up on the trial, Thomas was also required to leave the camp.

Then, Ant and Dec added a surprise element: the campmates got to decide if Thomas should stay. They voted to keep him, and he ultimately went on to win the competition.

Bullard has now instructed lawyers to sue ITV.

I’ve learned that Bullard secretly recorded the live final, and he plans to use these recordings as evidence in his lawsuit against ITV.

While the show was paused for commercials, the retired athlete filmed himself asking his fellow celebrities – singer Sinitta, football manager Harry Redknapp, and actor Craig Charles – whether they believed Thomas had acted inappropriately. They all said he had.

As a lifestyle and reality TV expert, I’ve been following the situation with Bullard closely. It seems he’s upset about a clause in the show’s contract. Basically, it states that any celebrity who acts aggressively will be immediately removed from the program, and he feels this is unfair or problematic for him.

However, despite Thomas’s outburst at Bullard, ITV allowed him to continue filming.

James Bullard, known for his direct communication style, firmly believes that Thomas, age 37, violated his contract with his angry outburst. Sources say he also thinks Thomas shouldn’t have won the competition.

Someone familiar with Bullard’s plans shared that Jimmy initially wasn’t planning on going to the live final, but he decided to attend because he wanted to chat with the other celebrities there.

As someone who follows these reality shows closely, I’ve been paying attention to the drama unfolding after the finale. David Haye has already spoken up about how the editing seemed to portray Adam Thomas unfairly, but it’s important to remember he didn’t actually witness the argument between Adam and Jimmy. He’s reacting to what he saw on TV, just like the rest of us, and that’s a different perspective than being present in the moment.

During the show’s finale, Jimmy questioned Harry, Sinitta, and Craig, capturing their reactions on camera. They all saw Adam’s angry reaction and confirmed that he had gone too far.

ITV is facing a serious problem: a popular show is at the center of a scandal, and legal challenges suggest the accusations won’t be resolved quickly.

‘ITV know how to get the viewers in, but this has backfired spectacularly,’ says my source.

‘I’m A Celeb is in deep crisis. It’s a family show – ITV prides itself on this.

The show has unfortunately become a really harmful example of toxic masculinity. Things got very aggressive, and ITV is aware of that – they’ve had numerous discussions about how to address it.

‘There are conflicting views, of course. But one thing everyone agrees on is it’s a mess.’

Adding to the drama, Ant and Dec have also been caught up in the dispute, and they’re understandably upset about it.

I’ve heard from sources that while my clients were thrilled about the opportunity to tackle a live show – it was filmed at Versa Studios in Acton last Friday – they were really disappointed with the level of professionalism on set that night. They felt it just wasn’t up to par, and honestly, they were pretty upset about it.

According to a network insider, Ant and Dec are consummate professionals. They’ve always fostered a positive atmosphere on set. While they enjoy entertaining television – including a bit of drama – this situation escalated far beyond what anyone expected.

They were clearly very angry last Friday, and their frustration has continued since then. They disliked the overall environment and were upset that the situation was allowed to worsen.

Apparently, Ant was upset that Bullard kept bringing up past issues during the live broadcast, refusing to leave them alone.

I was absolutely shocked when the presenter directly challenged Bullard on air! They said the real reason we hadn’t seen his complete reaction was because of strong language – specifically, that they couldn’t broadcast the ‘c bombs’ he dropped. It felt like a really bold move, and honestly, it left me speechless.

Bullard strongly agreed, stating, ‘What happened was definitely abusive, aggressive, and intimidating.’

Ant seemed upset by Thomas’s reply, and quickly clarified that he didn’t find Thomas intimidating.

In the advert break Dec had what was described as a ‘terse’ conversation with Bullard.

Following the filming, Ant was spotted vaping intensely, surrounded by security. He was then approached by Bullard, who appeared visibly upset in photos from the scene.

Adding to ITV’s problems, boxer David Haye revealed he’s also suing the network for £10 million. He claims the way he was portrayed in the final version of the show has severely damaged his reputation.

It’s not surprising that ITV’s press team didn’t respond to calls this week, as the situation quickly worsened.

Thomas recently shared on his podcast, ‘At Home with The Thomas Bros,’ that David Haye allegedly tried to destroy him, and he became visibly emotional while discussing it with his brothers, Ryan and Scott.

Before the big final last weekend, Thomas had once more discussed his experience with psoriatic arthritis.

He explained on the podcast that he felt taken advantage of, and that feeling was clear towards the end of the live show. He described the experience as selling his soul and stated he wouldn’t repeat it for any amount of money, saying nothing could justify what he went through.

I was so frustrated watching everything unfold! Scott, his twin, was absolutely convinced ITV was to blame for all the drama. He kept saying that all the campmates were upset with the broadcaster, and that it wasn’t about him at all – it was entirely ITV’s responsibility.

Those shows are incredibly harsh and competitive, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s just how cutthroat they are – everything is on the line. It wasn’t a reflection of your performance; ITV created that environment.

According to my source, Jimmy is even more upset now that Adam openly discussed his difficult experience on the podcast.

Jimmy is very upset with ITV for leaving out certain footage and portraying Adam in a more positive light than he believes he deserved.

He seemed to be sharing details about his health right before the competition, possibly to gain public sympathy. The source believes people don’t truly understand Adam’s character.

Bullard and his lawyers are carefully reviewing his contract with ITV, focusing on the clauses related to misconduct, to understand their options.

‘They have been going over it all and what Adam did with his behaviour,’ says the source.

ITV bent their own rules to allow him back on the show, and by doing so, they’re also violating their contract – he should have been removed due to his behavior. This is only the start of the issue, and things are likely to escalate further.

ITV staff are puzzled by management’s apparent acceptance of this behavior, particularly given their public commitment to the mental health of reality TV participants. This feels especially strange considering the tragic deaths of two former Love Island contestants, Mike Thalassitis and Sophie Gradon.

Following a series of deaths, ITV created a mental health campaign called Britain Get Talking, with the somewhat ironic choice of Ant and Dec as its public faces.

According to a source familiar with ITV, the reported issues of aggression and abuse aren’t accurately portrayed by the broadcaster’s statements.

‘It all felt very 2005. There are a few disconnects going on here.’

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2026-05-01 19:38