David Haye speaks out after being called a “misogynist” following the dramatic I’m a Celeb final.
David Haye has spoken out after being called a “misogynist” because of his comments about “ugly birds” on I’m a Celeb.
The second season of the all-stars version of the popular ITV show ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ ended with a big live finale on Friday night.
During the season, former heavyweight boxing champion Haye made headlines often due to his ongoing feud with ex-Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas. Haye and former Soccer AM host Jimmy Bullard were both accused of bullying Thomas, which caused several tense moments between the trio.
But it wasn’t just his issues with campmates that got Haye in trouble. He also faced criticism for saying that “ugly” women need to be funny to get noticed. These comments sparked a lot of backlash online, with some calling the 45-year-old a misogynist.
Now, Haye has pushed back against those claims, saying the criticism is unfair and standing by his thoughts. When Kugan Cassius asked him on iFL TV if he was a misogynist, Haye said: “No, it’s a TV show, and I think they edited it to create drama and get people to vote. Think of it like a pay-per-view event—they want the show to get as much attention as possible, and the controversy helped with that. I’m happy to be part of it.”
About his “ugly bird” idea, Haye explained: “Beautiful girls who have always been pretty get attention naturally. People ask if they need help, they get the hot boyfriend, and things come easy for them. So they don’t have to work as hard to connect with people or be funny. But women who aren’t considered attractive have to put in more effort and find other ways to stand out. That’s just how life is, and I don’t get why some people can’t see that.”
Haye said the problem was more about his choice of words—using “beautiful” and “ugly”—not the idea itself. “Those are just two ends of a scale,” he said. “If you’re not attractive, you have to bring something else to the table to find a partner. If someone isn’t attractive and also has a bad personality or isn’t funny, it’s harder for them to make friends. This is just how I see the world, and if that offends people, should I just keep quiet?”
He also talked about the bullying claims, saying the way the show was edited painted him as the bad guy. “The story was set up so it looked like he was getting bullied, but from my side—and I think his too—it wasn’t that bad. It just made a good TV story. Someone’s got to be the villain, so I’ll take that role. I don’t mind.”