I’m A Celebrity South Africa hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have addressed the backlash surrounding David Haye’s treatment of Adam Thomas – with viewers criticising the duo for not stepping in during filming.
Because the ITV series was pre-recorded, fans have questioned why more wasn’t done at the time, especially as tensions escalated in camp.
Ant and Dec admit David Haye I’m A Celebrity scenes were ‘not a nice watch’
Speaking on the I’m A Celebrity Unpacked podcast, Ant and Dec both admitted they found the scenes involving David and Adam difficult to watch.
Ant said: “It’s not a nice watch. He just kind of picks and picks at them. Adam has had a bit of a tough time and he’s not coping well. Clearly the banter has got too much. But David won’t stop.”
Dec agreed, adding: “It’s kind of crossed the line from banter. I don’t find it comfortable to watch.”
Their comments came after I’m A Celebrity South Africa star David branded Adam “useless” when he pulled out of a Bushtucker Trial due to illness, sparking outrage among viewers.
Fans question why nothing was done
Despite Ant and Dec acknowledging the situation, many viewers have hit out at the show’s handling of the incident – particularly because it was filmed in advance.
Some argued that producers, and even the hosts themselves, should have intervened at the time rather than allowing it to play out.
One said: “The production team @imacelebrity should have stepped in like they did on Big Brother. It was and is uncomfortable to watch, goodness knows how you must have been feeling. It was bullying and totally out of order. By the production team not stepping in seemed to mean that they prioritised drama over the health and well-being of someone that needed support.”
Another agreed and commented: “ITV should have nipped all the bullying in the bud as soon as it started. Shame on Ant and Dec to let it continue, even passing comments about it and doing nothing!!!”
“Ant and Dec are the Executive Producers and they have the power to stop this!!” said another. “Should have been stopped when it was recorded, expected more from @antanddec,” another agreed.
ITV has been contacted for comment.
Could action still be taken?
However, some viewers have suggested the full picture may not have been shown yet, with the possibility that David could still be spoken to later in the series.
“We haven’t seen what happens next yet,” one fan said. “We might see that David is pulled up on his behaviour.”
With the series still unfolding, it remains to be seen whether ITV addresses the controversy on screen.
Read more: David Haye HAS apologised to Adam Thomas for calling him ‘useless’
I’m A Celebrity South Africa airs weeknights at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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