David Hayes Controversial Moments on Im A Celebrity

has without doubt become one of this year's most controversial contestants on I'm A Celebrity... South Africa. 

The boxer, 45, who finished in third place, has been accused of 'bullying' , as well as leaving his campmates open-mouthed over his misogynistic remarks and 'disgusting' comments.

Since his exit, David has been blasted by fans, his co-stars, as well as hosts  and Declan Donnelly for 'crossing the line' during his stint.

'It's not a nice watch. He just kind of picks and picks at them', Ant told the ITV1 show's podcast I'm A Celebrity... Unpacked of David's behaviour.

'Adam has had a bit of a tough time and he's not coping well. Clearly the banter has got too much. But David won't stop.'

Dec agreed: 'It's kind of crossed the line from banter. I don't find it comfortable to watch.'

Adam spoke out about his experience with David this week and said he felt singled out by the boxer, explaining how he 'broke and pushed him to his limits'. 

The actor, 37, whose arthritis left him struggling 'physically, mentally and emotionally', was branded 'useless' by David on the show.

Gemma Collins, and  on many occasions jumped to his defence in the camp and have since called out David's 'uncomfortable manner'.

TOWIE icon Gemma was also targeted by David's cruel remarks in camp, with many fans pointing out he 'fat-shamed' her multiple times.

David sparked further uproar when he bragged that his girlfriend Sian Osborne is a 'lovely girl' with the personality of 'a proper ugly bird'.

Explaining his 'ugly duckling theory', the boxer claimed that less attractive girls have to work on being 'nicer' and being 'more personable' in order to get noticed, while 'most super pretty girls are just idiots'. 

While many viewers shared their horror at the sexist comments, it was allegedly David's inability to use artificial intelligence (AI) that caused him to make sexist remarks.

David is said to use AI before making speeches and social media posts to 'check if his comments are safe'.

A source said: 'His focus inside camp has always been the game, survival decisions and camp dynamics rather than trying to offend anyone. Those who know him best understand there was no malice behind the remark.

'When AI started he started using it all the time to check he's not offending someone before he comments.

The insider added to The Sun: 'It's a bit of a comfort blanket for him – but he didn't have that in the jungle. Those who know him best understand there was no malice behind the remark.'

The Daily Mail recaps all the times David has sparked controversy on I'm A Celebrity. 

Bullying row with Adam Thomas

Adam revealed last week that boxer David 'broke me and pushed me to my limits' while filming the series.

The actor opened up about his 'tough' experience in the jungle in a candid Instagram post after the pair clashed several times.

In a new post on Instagram Adam reflected on his experience and penned: 'Since coming out, I've taken time to process everything, and I'm in a much better place now. I let go of the anger, had the conversations I needed to have, and chose peace. 

'What I'm most proud of, is at times like this I wanted to walk, I wanted to quit but I didn't. Even when I wanted to walk away, even when it felt like too much, I never give up! and that means everything to me.

'He broke me in there, he pushed me to my limits, and I've told David this and he's apologised and that's that! I've moved on now, am not one to hold a grudge.

'But thank you for all your lovely messages and all the kind words ❤️. 

'We all face people and situations that try to break us, but sometimes those moments are what rebuild you stronger than ever. Be kind.'

Sharing a photo looking upset in his hammock, the Waterloo Road star also revealed his 'arthritis really took its toll' and he struggled to 'hide the pain'.

He wrote: 'Not going to lie, this picture breaks my heart, as I know on the inside what I was dealing with and truth be told I thought it was all my fault. I now know that's not the reality…

'My time in I'm a Celebrity South Africa was one of the toughest things I've ever been through, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

'Watching it back hasn't been easy at all. There were moments I felt pushed to my absolute limit, and if I'm honest, times I didn't even recognise myself.'

Adam was diagnosed with autoimmune psoriatic arthritis in 2023 and went on to open up about his 'biggest fight'.

He continued: 'Living with arthritis is something I don't really talk about, as much as I should do…but in there it really took its toll.

'My biggest fight was pretending to put on a brave face and trying to hide the pain! that can be exhausting within itself. There were days my body just didn't want to keep going, but I did.

'I won't sit here and say I handled everything perfectly, because I didn't. I wish I spoke up for myself sooner. I wish I stood my ground instead of trying to keep the peace, but I've learned that being kind doesn't mean being weak, and sometimes it takes going through tough moments to find your voice.'

Adam concluded by saying he is in a 'better place now' and that he is proud he didn't quit I'm A Celebrity and has since spoken to David, who has apologised to him.

Adam refused to do a Bushtucker Trial on Friday as he felt unwell and dehydrated, with David saying after: 'Who gives a s**t if he doesn't feel well. He's a grown-ass man.

'I don't like guys who are... a bit useless. I hate them useless guys.'

'Fat-shaming' Gemma Collins 

During the show, David has been accused of 'fat-shaming' Gemma.

The duo have struggled to get on from the get-go, with Gemma mocking David's unconventional 'throuple' relationship and David refusing to give the TOWIE star a drink of water. 

Announcing a trial, David read a piece of paper in the camp that said: 'Please choose two campmates to take on the Retching Bull.'

Gemma went on volunteer David and former Olympian Mo Farah, 43, to take on the trial. David replied: 'You chucked us right in there, in the deep end.'

Visibly annoyed, Gemma said to David: 'No you said today that you wanted to do something.'

While David agreed to complete the trial, Mo Farah said that he wasn't feeling up to it and Coronation Street star Craig Charles, 61, tentatively agreed to go in his place.

Gemma told the camp: 'We all need to eat tonight.'

David then controversially interjected: 'You need to eat tonight.'

Gemma joked: 'You know what I’m like without food.'

David went on to question: 'Where were you last night and where was I last night? What did I eat last night?'

This was, of course, a reference to the slap-up banquet that team Rhino got to enjoy after winning the meal and a safari by successfully completing various challenges.

The exchange went far from unnoticed by fans of the show, with many questioning why David has been able to seemingly fat-shame his campmate without consequence.

Taking to X, viewers wrote: 'Is David fat shaming gemma AGAIN!! #imaceleb';

'He shouldn't still be allowed in, Seann should have stayed #ImACeleb.';

'Can someone people tell me how they have let this David wasteman fatshame our Gemma AGAIN??!'

David has not only denied Gemma water, but he made a similarly suggestive remark about her hair when she commented on its thickness.

She said to Craig: 'I've got very thick hair, haven't I?'

David cut in and said: 'It definitely ain't thin.'

Gemma went on to tell the Bush Telegraph: 'You know what? I'm not always used to people dealing with me in an abrupt manner.' 

Misogynistic comments 

David left his co-stars in shock as he bragged about dating a 'lovely woman with the personality of a proper ugly bird'.

David went on to clarify that he meant that less attractive women have better personalities because their 'banter and jokes' distract from their appearance.

The former boxing champion was discussing his girlfriend Sian Osborne with Scarlett and Ashley, who looked horrified by his admission.

Scarlett, 35, revealed to Heat magazine that David isn't someone she regularly keeps in touch with since appearing on the show.

She said: 'We have a WhatsApp group. Not everyone is in it, I'm not going to lie. I won't disclose it, but for me personally, I speak to Ashley nearly every day.

'I speak to Mo [Farah] all the time, Gemma, Bev [Callard], Sinitta and Harry. I think you naturally gravitate towards certain people in any sort of setting like that, but they're definitely the ones I speak to all the time.'

Despite not name checking David as someone she is close to, it was revealed on the show's press day that the WhatsApp group was created by David.

Scarlett's comments come after David horrified viewers with his comments earlier this week while discussing his partner for the first time.

He said: 'It'd be good to get everyone together as well, after this. [Sian] can cook, for like, 60 people. We have these parties in Costa Rica...'

Pussycat Dolls star Ashley interjected: 'Who is this woman?'

In response, David went on to describe her as: 'Tall, blue eyes...'

Sinitta then said: 'She sounds like she's drop dead gorgeous.'

David replied: 'She's lovely, she's got the personality of a proper ugly bird.'

A gobsmacked Scarlett chimed in with: 'You can't say that, David! You can't say that', laughing in disbelief.

As Scarlett and Ashley asked what he means by the comment, David clarified: 'Most ugly girls realise they've got to have a personality to banter, tell jokes and s**t.

'People overlook the fact they're not aesthetically amazing straight away.

'What's it called - Ugly Duckling Syndrome? When girls are ugly when they start off, then get pretty as they get older. But they've still got the personality of when they're ugly.'

Looking down and pulling her hair over her face, Ashley groaned: 'Oh, dear God...'.

While many were left aghast by David's view, his girlfriend apparently laughed it off.

A source close to Sian, who has been in throuples with the star, told The Sun: 'Sian can see why people are upset, but he absolutely did not intend to offend anyone – it was meant as a compliment.

'He thinks of himself as a bit of a philosopher and was using the 'ugly duck theory' to boast about how Sian has it all – the stunning looks and killer personality.

'Sian found it really funny. She knows David has a heart of gold and worships the ground she walks on. He always treats her with the utmost respect. She doesn't think he deserves to be labelled sexist.

David branded 'insensitive' 

 fans called out 'nasty' David after he clashed with Adam during the show.

Tension reached fever point in the camp when David called Adam 'useless' for not opting to do a trial.

The duo's campmates were left cringing over David's sarcastic remarks towards Adam after he didn't want to do a challenge because he felt unwell.

Fans argued there is a 'fine line between bantering and bullying' as they urged David to be more 'sympathetic' towards his campmates.

'I don't like guys who are a bit useless', David said to Adam, who laughed off the remark. 

Fans wrote on X: 'David Haye saying he doesn’t like a useless guy when Adam didn’t want to do a trial. Hun, without Craig yesterday you’d have won 0 stars. #imaceleb', 

'What the hell is wrong with David haye he wasn’t like this first time around. He’s really showing himself up',

'Adam literally beat David in their head to head challenge. Yet David is calling his useless?! Nasty piece of work David Haye',

'David Haye is an absolute joke and a bully, he's the worst',

 'There's a fine line between bantering and bullying and David Haye is certainly crossing it #imaceleb'.

Beverley Callard has since shared that she wished she would have said more and felt disappointed over David's actions as she 'really admired him.'

Beverley said: 'When I was watching it last night I actually thought I was too easy on him. I did.

'I mean, you’ve got to wait and see what happens, but I actually thought I was too easy on him when I first got back into main camp.'

Speaking to The Sun, Beverley added: 'I did say a lot more than that — it was edited out — but I think I was too easy on him when we first met again.

I was disappointed as well, because I was a fan of his.'

David's 'throuple' was brought up 11 times

David's 'throuple' was brought up 11 times on I'm A Celebrity despite the boxing legend refusing to speak about his love life on the ITV show.

Geordie presenters Ant and Dec have made reference to his past relationship five times, and his campmates Gemma and Adam Thomas have made six.

David and his girlfriend Sian Osborne were said to be linked to Helen Flanagan - which the Coronation Street star denies.  

'Producers were desperate to have David speaking candidly about his relationships,' a source told The Sun.' However, he decided he did not want to talk about his private life.

'Therefore producers have made sure that Ant and Dec mention it throughout the series.'

While David has been in a relationship with Sian since 2020, the pair were linked to actress Helen, who denied she was in a throuple but confessed she 'fell in love' with David.