Adam Thomas revealed he nearly quit I'm a Celeb after David Haye 'broke' him
21 April 2026, 16:41
David Haye "broke me and pushed me to my limits."
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Adam Thomas has opened up about his taxing time filming I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here South Africa, admitting that fellow contestant David Haye "broke me and pushed me to my limits."
In a vulnerable Instagram post shared on Sunday (April 19), the 37-year-old Waterloo Road star detailed the immense physical and emotional toll the show took on him.
Adam, who was diagnosed with autoimmune psoriatic arthritis in 2023, revealed that his condition made the jungle environment nearly unbearable.
The actor entered the competition hoping to prove his resilience, however, the damp conditions, lack of proper bedding, and physical challenges of the South African wilderness proved to be a recipe for agony.
Reflecting on a specific image of himself looking distraught in a hammock, Adam expressed the heartbreak of seeing his younger self in such a state.
"Not going to lie, this picture breaks my heart, as I know on the inside what I was dealing with and truth be told I thought it was all my fault. I now know that’s not the reality…
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My time in I’m a Celebrity... South Africa was one of the toughest things I’ve ever been through, physically, mentally, and emotionally."
For Adam, the exhaustion didn't just stem from the hunger or the trials, but from the immense effort required to mask his condition from his campmates and the cameras.
"Living with arthritis is something I don’t really talk about, as much as I should do… but in there it really took its toll.
"My biggest fight was pretending to put on a brave face and trying to hide the pain! that can be exhausting within itself. There were days my body just didn’t want to keep going, but I did."
The physical strain was compounded by a fractured camp dynamic, most notably with David Haye.
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The friction between the two stars reportedly ignited after Thomas broke a fundamental show rule by smuggling chocolate into the camp for the rival "Lions" team.
When the breach was discovered, the entire group was stripped of two hard-earned food stars, reducing their dinner portions significantly.
David Haye, known for his disciplined athletic background, did not take the loss of nutrients lightly.
The boxer suggested that Adam Thomas, as the culprit, should take a smaller portion than everyone else, a suggestion that caused immediate ripples of discomfort throughout the camp.
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Adam described the toll of David’s relentless focus on the mistake: "It’s safe to say that David wasn’t happy and he’s blaming me, right," he said at the time.
"He just doesn’t stop going on about it... to a point where I’m like I don’t know whether it’s banter or whether he actually believes it."
The actor admitted that the constant pressure made him feel as though he was losing his sense of self.
Adam confessed that watching the footage back was difficult because there were times he "didn’t even recognise myself" due to the stress and the feeling of being bullied or cornered.
Despite the "hollow empty gestures" David Haye accused him of and the excruciating physical pain, Adam emerged from the experience with a new perspective on strength.
He admitted to regretting his initial silence, wishing he had stood his ground earlier rather than trying to maintain a fragile peace.
"I wish I spoke up for myself sooner," Adam said.
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"I wish I stood my ground instead of trying to keep the peace, but I’ve learned that being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and sometimes it takes going through tough moments to find your voice."
Adam confirmed that he and David Haye have since reconciled, saying he reached out to the boxer post-filming to express how the situation had affected him, leading to a formal apology from Haye.
"He broke me in there, he pushed me to my limits, and I’ve told David this and he’s apologised and that’s that! I’ve moved on now, am not one to hold a grudge."
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