Jake Quickenden has stepped in to defend Jimmy Bullard after a resurfaced clip of them from I’m A Celebrity 2014 sparked renewed claims of bullying.
The singer and reality star addressed the controversy after footage from the 2014 series began circulating again online.
The clip was shared after his explosive row with Adam Thomas on the all-stars series of the show. And follows Friday’s live final (April 24), which has now been likened to an episode of The Jeremy Kyle Show…
Jimmy Bullard’s ‘banter’ with Jake Quickenden on I’m A Celebrity 2014 sparks debate
The original exchange, filmed in camp, shows Jimmy questioning Jake’s presence on the show in a blunt, joking tone. It was a moment that originally split viewers and has now found fresh attention years later.
In the resurfaced footage, Jimmy can be heard challenging Jake’s role in camp, asking what his “skill” is. He also asks him why he was chosen for the ITV series.
He says: “The more I’m getting to know you, the more I’m thinking what the [bleep] is this [bleep] doing in here? What are you offering? Why the [bleep] are you in here?”
He continues: “World champ, fair enough. Professional footballer. But what the [bleep] have you done? Picked up a mic?”
At the time, the comments drew criticism from viewers who felt Jimmy had crossed a line. Although he later dismissed the exchange as light-hearted humour. In an interview, he told Ant and Dec it was “just banter”.
Jake responded at the time by shrugging off the comments and admitting he wasn’t sure why he had been selected either, saying he felt similarly out of place.
While the moment initially faded into show history, renewed discussion online has pushed it back into circulation – especially amid recent camp tensions involving Jimmy.
‘He didn’t bully me’
Despite the renewed backlash, and controversy on the South Africa spin-off, Jake has publicly backed Jimmy. He’s insisted the situation with him was misinterpreted.
Commenting on the clip, he wrote: “I’m gonna be honest here, bullying should be called out but he didn’t bully me here. He was my pal in there, we were having a laugh, he outdid me and I didn’t know what to say back.”
He added: “He was trying to make me bite. Some people may see it differently but I can say this – he didn’t bully me. He was actually so sound to me in there and ever since. He still messages me to catch up.”
Read more: Exactly why Jimmy Bullard and David Haye didn’t appear on I’m A Celebrity spin-off show Unpacked
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