Jimmy Bullard called Adam Thomas "abusive, aggressive and intimidating" on live television — and then demanded Ant and Dec weigh in. They didn't back him up. Neither did Sinitta. Neither did Gemma Collins.
The former Premier League midfielder's exit from I'm A Celebrity... South Africa has turned into a full-blown post-show controversy, with Bullard now reportedly weighing up legal action against ITV after he claims footage of Thomas's conduct was deliberately withheld. ITV's response was blunt: "We showed an accurate and fair representation of events."
David Haye stepped in to support Bullard's version, accusing the show of editing Thomas into a victim. That was enough to send Collins and Sinitta walking off set. The whole thing unravelled in real time during the finale — the same episode where Thomas was crowned the winner.
The row, the walkout, and the money question
The dispute started when Bullard walked out of a challenge mid-series, a decision that reportedly cost him his appearance fee. He alleged Thomas dropped "C-bombs" that never made it to air and pushed hosts McPartlin and Donnelly to confirm the exchange had been aggressive. McPartlin was direct: "No, it wasn't. I was there."
Collins, never one to stay quiet, posted on Instagram: "Jimmy Bullard and David Haye should be absolutely DISGUSTED WITH THEMSELVES." Whatever the truth of what happened in camp, the public battle has kept Bullard's name at the top of the news cycle — which, in the reality TV economy, tends to generate its own opportunities.
Life outside the jungle
Bullard's football career ran from the lower leagues through to the Premier League, with spells at Wigan, Fulham, Hull and — technically — West Ham, though he never made a first-team appearance for the Hammers. The Fulham and Wigan years are where most fans remember him: a combative, high-energy midfielder with a personality that was always going to translate to television.
Post-retirement, he co-presented Soccer AM on Sky Sports, appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, and did his first stint in the jungle back in 2014. He also co-owns a pub with his father and runs Jimmy Bullard Ltd. His estimated net worth sits at around £3.5 million.
Away from the cameras, he's engaged to his long-term partner Diane, with whom he has two children, Archie and Beau. He's kept them largely out of the spotlight, though he told The Mirror ahead of his 2014 jungle appearance: "My amazing missus, along with my two fantastic kids, Archie and Beau, are the greatest things that ever happened to me."
His son Archie is making a name for himself in motorsport, currently competing in the GB4 Championship — a single-seater feeder series toward Formula 1. One of his rivals in the series is Dayton Coulthard, son of F1 legend David. The 2026 season opened at Silverstone this weekend.
Legal action against ITV or not, Bullard has ensured he won't be forgotten after this series. Whether that's the outcome he wanted is another question entirely.
