David Haye sometimes crossed the line during I’m A Celeb, Craig Charles says

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

Craig Charles has said he thinks David Haye sometimes crossed the line during his time on I’m A Celebrity… South Africa.

The Red Dwarf star, who featured in the 2014 series of the show, also said he “felt sorry for” his campmate Adam Thomas after his confrontation with the boxer in Friday’s episode.

Haye, 45, has faced controversy since appearing on the ITV reality show, most notably over the weekend after he criticised Thomas for opting out of a bushtucker trial because he was “dehydrated” and “not feeling well”.

The boxer was evicted from the jungle during Monday night’s episode, and during his exit he insisted that he was “bantering” with the Waterloo Road star, but admitted he is an “extremist” and may have pushed too far.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Charles opened up about the atmosphere in the camp, and addressed the altercation between Thomas and Haye that left viewers in uproar.

The 61-year-old actor and comedian said: “I like David a lot, but there is a line and sometimes David can cross it.

“David’s used to – this is the way he used to sell his fights – you know, it’s all this trash talk, ‘I’m going to knock his head off’ and stuff like that.

“That’s David’s sort of idea of show business, and putting on a show.”

Former Emmerdale actor Thomas has since admitted that Haye “pushed me to my limits” while on the show, but said that the boxer has since apologised and the pair have moved on, adding: “I’m not one to hold a grudge.”

He also explained that he did not feel well due to having psoriatic arthritis, which is a long-term condition that causes joint pain, swelling and stiffness, according to the NHS.

Addressing this, Charles said: “In fairness to David, I’m not sure he’s aware that Adam does have this medical issue where sometimes he can be a bit low on energy. And Adam manages that superbly.”

Referring to the elimination during last night’s episode, which saw Haye leave the camp alongside reality TV star Gemma Collins, Charles continued: “I was feeling sorry for Adam. That’s why I saved him in last night’s show.

“I said, ‘I’ll save Adam’, because I could see that David’s constant jibe was actually getting to him and having an emotional impact. I just wanted to give him a bit of a gee up, you know what I mean?”

Charles added: “It didn’t really feel that bad in camp. I mean, there were some bits where we would be like, ‘oh, come on David, leave it alone’.

“When you were in there, it didn’t feel as though watching on the telly. To me, it didn’t feel as severe as it’s come across.”

It is not the first time Haye has faced controversy for his actions on the spin-off show, having caused a stir last week for his remarks on “ugly birds” while discussing his girlfriend Sian Osborne.

Viewers have been promised more drama to come by presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, and it has been rumoured that former footballer Jimmy Bullard may not appear in the show’s live final on Friday.

Charles said: “The wheels definitely come off tonight. You need to watch tonight. It really kicks off.

“I’m like, ‘wow, I didn’t see it coming either’. I spoke to Jimmy a few days ago, and Jimmy said that he will see me on Friday – that’s all I can tell you.”

I’m A Celebrity… South Africa will return on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV, ITVX, STV and STV Player.