David Haye says he was "on his best behaviour" in the I'm A Celebrity camp and claimed there is "no bad blood" between him and Adam Thomas after he was accused of bullying.
The former WBA heavyweight champion, who came third on the 2012 version of the ITV show, was eliminated from the jungle on Monday evening after his fellow campmates decided against saving him from the chop.
Haye was given the power to eliminate another contestant and picked Gemma Collins as he believed she "was ready" to leave.
In his exit interview, Haye was asked where he stands with former Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas, who has also been embroiled in a heated row with former Premier League footballer Jimmy Bullard.
Advert
On Monday night's episode, tensions between Haye and Thomas boiled over when the latter appeared to reach his breaking point.
Haye suggested his campmate might "have some issues outside of here", a remark Thomas shut down. "I've got no issues David, you're my issue right now," he said.
The 45-year-old laughed at Thomas' suggestion and mentioned "hurting your feelings and stuff", which sparked a candid response from the Waterloo Road actor.
Thomas said: "You're not hurting my feelings, but if you don't want to be nice, don't be nice. It's not funny now though bro, I don't know what's so funny?"
Haye replied: "I love it, it's so funny", while the actor replied: "I'm glad you love it, because I don't. I like you and I don't understand why you keep coming for me 24/7."
Thomas made his way to the Bush Telegraph and spoke about the incident. "I just don't know where it came from," he said. "What are you doing, what are you getting out of it? Just keeps on having a go. I'm like, 'Come on, man. It's not funny no more man'."
Haye also called Thomas "useless" for excusing himself from a trial, a comment the former boxer admitted was harsh.
Addressing his controversial comments in his I'm A Celeb exit interview after being asked where he stands with Thomas, Haye replied: “I am a d*ck — that’s the problem. Maybe I’m a bit harsh, I probably am."
"No bad blood from my side," he continued. "Look, I've been immersed in tough boxing gyms since I was ten years old. Literally fighting daily, much bigger men than myself, pushing myself to the limits, physically and mentally.
"I won the world heavyweight championship against a seven-foot Russian giant. So when a grown man tells me that a fun TV show - where we're being paid handsomely every single day - is the hardest thing he's ever been through, it's just not a frequency I recognise. I was actually on my best behaviour in there, honestly.
"I've spoken to Adam, I've said my piece, and some of what's still to air will speak for itself. I'll leave it there."
Ant and Dec criticise David Haye for ‘uncomfortable’ I'm a Celeb moment that 'crossed the line'
Although some of their interactions have been played off as banter, Haye's decision to mock Thomas for avoiding one of the infamous Bushtucker Trials after falling ill was labelled "uncomfortable" by hosts Ant and Dec.
Speaking on the show's podcast, I’m A Celebrity...Unpacked, Ant said: "It’s not a nice watch. [Haye] just kind of picks and picks at them. 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, adding: "It’s kind of crossed the line from banter. I don’t find it comfortable to watch."
Adam Thomas admits he was 'pushed to my absolute limit' in statement
Following the release of the episode, Thomas posted a statement addressing the situation.
"Watching it back hasn’t been easy at all," Thomas wrote on Instagram. "There were moments I felt pushed to my absolute limit, and if I’m honest, times I didn’t even recognise myself.
"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."
Thomas added: "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."
Topics: David Haye
Jack Kenmare