Adam Thomas was officially crowned an I'm a Celebrity legend last night, and he's taken to Instagram to unpack his dramatic experience. 10 years on from his first stint in the Australian jungle — where he came in third place — the Waterloo Road star endured the dreaded eating trial, brought contraband into camp, and took part in the iconic celebrity cyclone before ultimately winning the South Africa spin-off.
However, the 37-year-old's time in the jungle wasn't without its drama — most notably, his row with former footballer Jimmy Bullard. Earlier in the week, the two campmates clashed when Jimmy walked out during a joint trial, which put Adam's future on the show in jeopardy. Viewers saw Adam lose his temper with Jimmy, where he launched into an expletive-filled confrontation, which fellow campmate Craig Charles later labelled on This Morning as "traumatising."
Elsewhere in the show, Adam also clashed with former boxer David Haye, who was accused of bullying the soap star. After Adam, who suffers from psoriatic arthritis, withdrew from a trial due to illness, David branded him "useless." David has since denied the bullying claims, while Sinitta defended him on Good Morning Britain earlier this week. Suggesting that Adam had "goaded" David, she said: "There was no bullying. And if you remember, when there were the two separate camps, it was actually Adam goading David, saying 'we've got this, we've got that'."
She continued: "It made for great telly, but I have to say, I was there and we all got on so well. It's a shame for all of us."
But now all the campmates are back home with their families — and Adam has secured his crown — he's taken to Instagram to share his side of the story. In a cryptic post, which featured a photo of the actor in his jungle attire smiling alongside his wife, Caroline, Adam said: "I walked through this journey with my heart first, no matter what came my way…It was not always easy, there were moments that could have broken me, but I stayed true to myself and that is something I will always be proud of."
Seemingly alluding to the multiple fallouts, Adam then said that he's "realised that when people try to dim your light, it says more about them than it ever will about you." He continued, saying that the experience has "shown [him his] strength in ways [he] never imagined."
"Not because of any title or recognition, but because I stayed kind, I stayed grounded and I stayed real."
Adam rounded off his post thanking everyone who supported him, believed in him and showed him love. He said it "means more than I can ever put into words."
The actor also directly addressed those who "doubted" him or tried to bring him down. "I carry no negativity towards you. I have already won in the ways that matter most. I have love, I have happiness and I have stayed true to myself, and that is something no one can ever take away from me. I hope one day you can do the same."
