Ant McPartlin breaks silence on car park confrontation with Jimmy Bullard after I'm A Celeb final

Ant McPartlin has finally spoken out after it was reported that the presenter was ‘flanked by security’ when meeting I’m a Celeb… South Africa contestant and former footballer Jimmy Bullard in the car park after the show’s live finale.

The latest edition of the show was certainly dramatic, with feuds breaking out between Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas, ex-footballer Bullard, and former boxer David Haye.

During the show’s live final, the actor continued his war of words with both Haye and Bullard, prompting fellow contestants Gemma Collins and Sinitta to leave the set.

Since then, several reports have claimed that both Bullard and Haye are unhappy with the show’s editing, with the boxer reportedly set to take legal action against ITV.

Photographs also surfaced of McPartlin and Bullard appearing to exchange words in the car park after the show, with several reports claiming they became embroiled in an argument.

When speaking about his heated argument with Thomas during the finale, Bullard said: “I get it, but what I don’t stand for is someone being abusive and intimidating. I don’t stand for it. You [Ant and Dec] were there. You had the front-row seats. You didn’t show any of the C-bombs.”

Now, almost a week on from the heated live show, hosts McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have addressed what happened in the car park after the show.

Speaking on ‘Hanging Out with Ant & Dec’, Dec said: “I went up to David Haye and he went, ‘How brilliant was that? Wasn’t that great?’ I went, ‘Well… it was certainly talked-about TV. I wouldn’t call it great, but anyway.’ We had a laugh, and we were cool, and then I walked off and saw Jimmy Bullard. I just shook his hand and said, ‘Look after yourself,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, cheers, cheers, cheers.’ So there was no confrontation. I wasn’t flanked by two security guards as it said in the paper.”

Watch the full episode of Hanging Out With Ant & Dec tomorrow on @beltabox or listen on @SpotifyUK 👀 pic.twitter.com/fnxU1mchon

— antanddec (@antanddec) April 29, 2026

Meanwhile, despite previous reports suggesting that an argument broke out between him and Bullard, Ant clarified exactly what happened in the car park.

Ant said: “I saw David Haye and he said, ‘What about that then? Hope you get some good ratings for that one.’

“I just felt it was a shame the crowning moment of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa couldn’t have been more celebratory. If anything, remember it for Craig Charles having a bath in the washing-up bowl – that’s how I would remember it.”