In a raw and emotional revelation, actor Adam Thomas has opened up about the traumatic bullying he experienced during his time on I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, admitting the ordeal has left him needing professional therapy and fundamentally changed him as a person.
The Breaking Point
The Waterloo Road star became visibly emotional during a recent episode of the At Home With The Thomas Bro's podcast, where he discussed the pre-recorded South African episodes that aired this week. Thomas described how what began as an "amazing experience" quickly turned into a psychological battle that pushed him to his absolute limits.
"I know for a fact that I'm not the same person as I was when I went into the jungle to when I came out," Thomas confessed, his voice breaking with emotion. "It's changed me and that's no exaggeration. It's messed with me mentally because I just thought, 'How is this happening? I'm a 37-year-old man' and I'm like, 'How am I letting some other person do this to me in here?'"
Campmate Conflicts
The drama unfolded during a particularly intense Bushtucker Trial where Thomas clashed with former footballer Jimmy Bullard, ultimately leading to Bullard's dramatic exit from the jungle. However, the more persistent issue came from Thomas's ongoing difficulties with former boxer David Haye, which he addressed in painful detail during the podcast recording.
"There are moments in there where I just have a bit of a tough time with one of the campmates," Thomas explained, referring to his strained relationship with Haye. "I said to my therapist, 'Why didn't I stick up for myself?' and it was because I was always putting other people's feelings first before mine because I didn't want to bring any attention to this."
The Psychological Toll
Thomas described how he internalized the conflict to avoid causing drama in camp, a decision that ultimately took a severe psychological toll. "If I say anything now, I'm gonna cause drama in camp, I'm gonna dampen everyone's spirits, I'm gonna cause tension, so I just took it," he revealed. "I just took it and took it and took it until eventually it got to a point where I'm literally at breaking point."
His brother Scott, a former Love Island star, observed that Adam's second stint in the jungle "had a massive impact" on him, confirming the severity of the psychological aftermath.
The Confrontation and Apology
The situation reached a climax when Thomas finally confronted Haye about his behavior. "I was like, 'Are you not gonna apologise?' and he was like, 'I was trying to teach you a lesson' and I was like, 'I don't need a lesson off you bro'," Thomas recounted.
Eventually, Haye did offer an apology during a heart-to-heart conversation, which Thomas said "meant so much to me." However, the damage had already been done, with Thomas breaking down in tears as he reflected on his inability to defend himself.
"If I saw that happening to anyone else, I would stick up for them but I just couldn't do it for myself," he wept. "I just became like a little kid again."
Aftermath and Recovery
The experience has left Thomas in ongoing therapy, working through the psychological impact of what he endured during the reality television program. His emotional disclosure highlights the often-unseen consequences of reality TV dynamics and the lasting effects such environments can have on participants.
The pre-recorded South African episodes continue to air on ITV, offering viewers a glimpse into the tensions that unfolded months earlier. Thomas's candid revelations provide crucial context to the on-screen drama, revealing the human cost behind the entertainment.
As reality television continues to dominate entertainment landscapes, Thomas's story serves as a powerful reminder of the psychological realities participants face long after cameras stop rolling and audiences move on to the next dramatic moment.
