Why Jimmy Bullard really quit I'm A Celeb after bust-up with Adam Thomas
This year’s All Stars series of I’m A Celeb really seems to be living up to its name as it’s taken us back to the golden age of the show.
The celebrities are actually arguing again. Oh come on, we all have that sneaky part inside of us that used to enjoy the ITV hit show more when the campmates would be kicking off.
And last night’s episode I’m A Celeb… South Africa saw that continue as it finally aired the long-rumoured ‘bust-up’ between Adam Thomas and Jimmy Bullard.
The actor began shouting in the footballer’s face when he learned he had quit their bushtucker trial, threatening his place on the show.
Why did Jimmy Bullard leave I'm A Celeb?
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The reason Bullard actually quit and left the camp doesn’t seem to be because of Thomas but reportedly because he wanted to get back home.
A source told The Sun that the former footballer was ‘ready to go home’ at that point.
“He was desperate to get back to the UK as he was facing a family crisis,” they claimed.
“Jimmy knew he’d done what he went in there to do and was happy to take the money and run.
“His dad was struggling with his health before he flew out and when there was the chance to pack it in, he took it.”
When he called out ‘I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here’, Bullard told Thomas: “I’m so sorry, son.”
He told the camp he’d ‘had enough’ and his partner began to kick off shouting: “Are you taking the p*ss.”
Bullard said calmly that ‘everyone’s got their own story’ and as Thomas continued to rant, he said: “Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down. That’s pathetic.”
It’s not clear if the star had opened up to the camp about his dad and family back home.
Thomas and Bullard have reportedly not spoken since the show filmed back in September and it’s claimed the footballer is ‘refusing’ to attend the live final on Friday.
He didn’t partake in an exit Q&A like the I’m A Celeb campmates usually do, but did say during the episode that letting his teammate down ‘is a killer’.
Bullard explained he was tempted by the opportunity to leave: “I thought we were going in there for stars for the camp to eat, but then they leave the door open for you, you could say, ‘I’m a celebrity, get me out of here’, and go home.
“People think I’m a bit out there and I give it to people, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re ready for them trials and stuff.”
He added that his ‘time was up in the game’ and that he had been finding it ‘harder and harder’ in the camp.
The LADbible Group contacted ITV and representatives for Bullard and Thomas for comment.
The celebrities who have spent the shortest time in the I'm a Celeb jungle and why they left
As this year’s special I'm a Celebrity... South Africa nears its end, the remaining campmates have spent three weeks in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
But some past contestants have had to leave after just a few days, with the reasons ranging from health issues, bereavements and controversies in the outside world.
These are the celebrities who have spent the shortest time in the jungle:
Brian Harvey (2004) - five days
Bizarrely, East 17 singer Harvey left after an argument about farting with journalist Janet Street-Porter.
ITV said at the time he broke wind while Street-Porter was cooking, leading her to tell him off and him to quit the show, saying ‘he was fed up with people treating him like a kid in front of millions of people’.
On a more serious note, Harvey arrived at camp 24 hours after the death of his grandma, so was likely feeling vulnerable emotionally.
Spencer Matthews (2015) – five days
Made in Chelsea star Matthews ended up leaving the jungle over his steroid use. He’d started taking them to bulk up for a charity boxing match.
The idea had been to wean himself off them gradually before heading into the jungle, but in the event, there was no time.
When producers found out, they decided it was unsafe for him to continue.
Richard Madeley (2021) - four days
Former This Morning presenter Madeley took part in the Covid season of the show, which swapped the Australian jungle for a castle in North Wales.
After feeling unwell in the early hours, he was rushed to hospital, and Covid protocols meant he wasn’t allowed back into camp.
Camilla Dallerup (2009) - four days
Strictly pro Dallerup struggled with the show’s meagre rations, confessing to campmates she was ‘so tired’ and had ‘never felt this weak’.
She opted for an early exit rather than putting her health at risk.
Craig Charles (2014) - four days
DJ Charles returned this year, but his first crack at the show was more than a decade ago.
Heartbreakingly, he chose to leave due to the sudden death of his brother at the age of 52.
He said in the years after he couldn’t watch I’m a Celeb because of the association with his bereavement, but now enough time had passed to return to the show.
Jack Maynard (2017) - three days
YouTuber Maynard left early after he was accused of racism and homophobia in tweets from 2012 and 2013, which resurfaced while he was in the jungle.
His reps made the decision to pull him out of the show so he could defend himself.
He later said he now understood the language in the tweets was ‘completely unacceptable’.
Freddie Starr (2011) - three days
Starr, a comedian, had to leave the show after suffering a severe allergic reaction following a Bushtucker Trial in which he chowed down on mouse tails and turkey testicles.
If it was either of those things he was allergic to, at least there’s little chance of him eating them again.
Gemma Collins (2014) - three days
The TOWIE favourite, who returned to I’m a Celeb this year, said she was ‘severely beaten’ by her then-boyfriend, just as she was about to travel to Australia.
Viewers at the time weren’t aware of the allegations, and many mocked Collins for leaving the jungle after just 72 hours, which she said left her ‘wanting to die’ in an interview with the Daily Mail.
Her boyfriend denied the claims, and Collins didn’t press charges, which she says she regrets.
Olivia Attwood (2022) - one day
The Love Island star lasted just a single day in the jungle due to medical reasons.
She explained in 2024 on the Staying Relevant podcast that she ‘tried to fight’ to stay in the jungle, but subsequent test results made it clear she had to leave.
Elaine Lordan (2005) - one day
EastEnders actor Lordan collapsed twice within 24 hours when she starred in the show and ended up having to be flown to hospital.
She later said she was ‘exhausted and hungry’ and was not ‘a natural camper’.
Topics: TV and Film, Im A Celebrity
Jess Battison