ITV has pushed back against claims it gave Adam Thomas preferential treatment during the I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! South Africa final, insisting the show presented 'an accurate and fair representation of events'.
The broadcaster has found itself at the centre of a growing row following Friday night's live finale, where former footballer Jimmy Bullard publicly clashed with the eventual winner.
Tensions between the pair had reportedly been simmering since filming wrapped months ago, but erupted on air when Bullard accused Thomas of 'intimidating behaviour' during their time in camp.
The situation escalated further when Bullard criticised ITV for not including moments he claimed showed Thomas using abusive language.
Addressing the backlash, an ITV spokesperson told The Mirror that suggestions of favouritism were 'incorrect and harmful', adding that the programme reflected what actually happened in camp.
They also pointed out that all contestants were invited back for the finale, with Bullard given significant time to speak during the live broadcast.
'All campmates were invited to the live finale to celebrate the series and to share their thoughts,' the spokesperson said.
'Once all campmates were on stage, Ant & Dec spoke to Jimmy first; he arguably received the most airtime during this part of the show.'
The dispute is apparently over unaired footage in which Thomas allegedly called Bullard a derogatory term. During the broadcast, host Ant McPartlin confirmed the language had been cut because it was not suitable for television, a decision that appeared to frustrate Bullard further.
Speaking live, he admitted he had 'thrown [Thomas] under the bus' but stood firm on his criticism.
'What I don't stand on is someone being abusive, aggressive and intimidating,' he said, before challenging hosts Declan Donnelly and McPartlin over the edit.
McPartlin responded directly, telling him: 'The reason we didn't air the C-bomb is because that is unbroadcastable. I was there and I didn't think it was intimidating.'
Thomas acknowledged the clash and admitted emotions had run high. He said he took 'full responsibility' for what happened in the moment.
The fallout has also drawn in other campmates, with former boxer David Haye suggesting the show's edit painted Thomas as a 'victim', while reports claimed Bullard felt unsupported by fellow contestant Gemma Collins.
On Saturday, Bullard looked to have a tense run-in with McPartlin, after allegedly being 'kicked out' of the I'm A Celebrity.... South Africa final.
Host Ant was pictured surrounded by security staff as the former football star appeared to try to get his attention.
Following the events of the final, Gemma, Ashley Roberts, and Scarlett Moffatt shared their thoughts on what had transpired on ITV2 spin-off Unpacked.
Ashley shared: 'I hope Adam enjoys it. I think he's been through so much, and I just hope that he can take a second, because I feel like he doesn't feel like he maybe deserves it because he's won.'
Scarlett agreed: 'He does deserve it. It was hard in there, and he was amazing, and he was a friend to us all.
'It is really disheartening that he didn't get to have that moment of glory.'
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