The 2026 winner of I'm A Celebrity...South Africa has been crowned in a live finale that descended into shouting chaos, with Adam Thomas named the Ultimate Legend in the second all-star edition of the ITV jungle show. The voting public at home decided the winner, while the bulk of the series was filmed last autumn in South Africa. The final unfolded as an epic, shouty two-part live event in London, hosted by Ant and Dec.
Finalists and Trials
The final four contestants included Olympian Sir Mo Farah, former football manager Harry Redknapp, Coronation Street star Craig Charles, and Waterloo Road actor Adam Thomas. All fellow campmates were in the audience, except soap star Beverley Callard, who could not attend. The hosts offered their support and love to Bev during the show.
Each finalist faced a pre-recorded trial before being whittled down to three. Craig was the first to go, followed by Harry and Sir Mo as runner-up. The trials took place against the backdrop of Kruger National Park: Sir Mo screamed as he tackled 70 snakes in his viper pit trial; Harry faced five mystery boxes with hairless rats, frogs, and insects; Craig was strapped to a board and lowered face-first into a pit of rats, using his mouth to retrieve stars; and Adam endured an eating trial featuring a sheep's anus, vagina, and a tarantula.
Final Camp Evening
The show then aired the final evening in the South Africa camp, where the last four men were treated to a meal of their favorite dishes.
Live Finale Chaos
After the pre-recorded segments, ITV cut to a classic studio audience with the cast gathered, as Ant and Dec presided over the night. Viewers at home sensed tension in the studio after an incredibly messy, catty, and drama-fueled series. The finale lived up to that reputation, with the last thirty minutes described as car crash TV on social media, as the cast erupted over a much-discussed argument between Adam and Jimmy Bullard.
Sinitta and Gemma Collins decided to walk off stage as Jimmy and David Haye started arguing with Adam over the dispute, which was reportedly edited for broadcast. Ant and Dec noted that David was not present during the original argument, but Jimmy demanded ITV play the full clip. Social media reactions were intense: Maisey Prue tweeted, 'This is the best live TV we've seen in years. Absolute chaos.' Anna wrote, 'This must be the most awkward final ever. Such bad vibes.' Caroline added that Ant and Dec were earning their pay to corral the crowd, noting 'quite an atmosphere in that studio.' Chris tweeted that it 'all seems a bit awks,' while Christina said, 'So I'm not the only one to feel that there is tension in the audience.' Another described it as 'excruciatingly awkward.'
Trending and Related Stories
Related trending stories include Jimmy Bullard hinting he would attend the final despite legal action claims, an Apprentice winner making £300,000 in a week after a freak disaster, David Haye making shocking remarks about women, and the close friendship between Sara Cox and Scott Mills after she replaced him on BBC Radio 2.
I'm A Celebrity...South Africa is available to watch on ITVX.
