Jimmy Bullard walked out of a challenge on I'm A Celebrity... South Africa, accused fellow campmate Adam Thomas of being "abusive, aggressive and intimidating" — and then the finale became a full-blown television incident. Hosts Ant and Dec rejected his version of events on camera. David Haye accused ITV of manipulating footage. Gemma Collins and Sinitta stormed off set. Not bad for a show most people assumed would be a gentle nostalgia trip.
Thomas was crowned the winner of the South Africa series. Within hours, Bullard had branded the actor — best known from Emmerdale — as having dropped "C-bombs" that never made the broadcast cut. He then invited Ant and McPartlin to weigh in directly, given they had, as he put it, "front-row seats." McPartlin's response was blunt: "No, it wasn't. I was there."
Bullard is now reportedly weighing up legal action against ITV. The broadcaster isn't backing down — a spokesperson stated they showed "an accurate and fair representation of events." He's also said to be losing his appearance fee over the walkout. Collins, posting on Instagram, was characteristically restrained: "Jimmy Bullard and David Haye should be absolutely DISGUSTED WITH THEMSELVES."
Life away from the cameras
Whatever the legal fallout, this level of exposure tends to generate work on the reality circuit, not kill it. Bullard, born in East Ham in 1978, knows how that world operates — he appeared on the original I'm A Celeb in 2014 and has co-hosted Soccer AM on Sky Sports.
His playing career ran through Wigan Athletic, Fulham, Hull and West Ham, though he never made a first-team appearance for the Hammers. After retiring, he built out a media profile, appeared on Celebrity MasterChef, co-owns a pub with his father, and runs Jimmy Bullard Ltd. His estimated net worth sits at around £3.5 million.
He's engaged to his long-term partner Diane, with whom he has two children — Archie and Beau. Diane has largely stayed out of the spotlight, which given recent events probably feels like a sensible call. Bullard told The Mirror ahead of his 2014 jungle stint: "My amazing missus, along with my two fantastic kids, are the greatest things that ever happened to me."
Archie Bullard on the grid
His son Archie has carved out a career in motorsport, competing in the GB4 Championship — a single-seater feeder series with an eye toward Formula 1. Among Archie's rivals this season is Dayton Coulthard, son of F1 legend David. The 2026 season opened at Silverstone.
ITV's position remains unchanged: the footage shown was fair and accurate. Bullard's legal team will apparently disagree. The next episode of this particular saga won't be broadcast on primetime TV — but it might end up in court.
