Tony Bellew 'adopts' Sam Thompson as his fifth son as he shares sweet beach snaps

The pair bonded in the jungle

Author: Charlotte RoszkoPublished 15th Dec 2023
Last updated 15th Dec 2023

It's safe to say that King of the Jungle Sam Thompson and runner-up Tony Bellew struck up a firm friendship in the I'm A Celeb jungle. After becoming pals on the show, Tony has seemingly now 'adopted' Sam into his family, after sharing a sweet post on Instagram.

The 41-year-old boxer posted some lovely snaps after enjoying a day at the beach with his wife Rachael and their four sons along with Sam, Pete Wicks and Marvin and Rochelle Humes. Captioning the post, Tony wrote: 'So my 4 kids turned into 5 on our day off after the jungle!! Lovely day spent with good people!! @marvinhumes @p_wicks01 and myself all on parenting duty for @samthompsonuk.

'Amazing mothers @rachael_bellew @rochellehumes watching on.'

Tony's post was met with an array of comments from fans, who loved seeing the friends having fun together. One person said: 'Sam, Tony and Marv for a touring TV programme. Would be amazing.' Someone else wrote: 'It's literally the loveliest post.'

Another person commented: 'Hahaha Sam is in his element and so are the kids. What a great group of people.' Someone else wrote: 'this is the best thing ever', whilst another person said: 'Love you all! What a pleasure it was to watch you all this year.'

Sam also took to his Instagram page to share a lovely post dedicated to his new friend. Posting a photo of the pair hugging, he wrote: 'Missing the big guy already. T-Bone for short….or T-Bag if he’s feeling Particularly villainous (he wasn’t a fan of that one) 😂 need to update you on so much mate! @tonybellew it’s been a full day without each other thank you so much for making the past month the best of my life. We’re bonded for life now!….god a night out with Tony and @p_wicks01 would be one for the ages.'

Meanwhile, Sam's girlfriend Zara McDermott shared an Instagram Story which showed him sending his first voice note to Tony, where he can be heard assuring him that he doesn't have to reply with a voice note and 'can text instead', as well as saying that he will visit Tony in Liverpool 'soon'.

We love this friendship!

Take a look at all of the I'm A Celeb winners:

1. Tony Blackburn

Tony Blackburn was the first celebrity to win the show back in 2002.

2. Phil Tufnell

England cricketer Phil Tufnell won the show with his hilarious personality in 2003.

3. Kerry Katona

Kerry Katona was the first woman to win the show in 2004.

4. Joe Pasquale

Joe Pasquale won the show when it returned later in the year of 2004.

5. Carol Thatcher

Journalist Carol Thatcher won the show in 2005 when she beat soap stars Sheree Murphy and Sid Owen.

6. Matt Willis

Busted member Matt Willis was a popular winner in 2006.

7. Christopher Biggins

Lovable Biggins shared the jungle with the likes of Katie Hopkins and Janice Dickinson and went on to win the show in 2007.

8. Joe Swash

Cheeky chap Joe Swash swapped EastEnders for the jungle and won the show in 2008.

9. Gino D'Acampo

The nation fell in love with Gino in 2009.

10. Stacey Solomon

After showing off her bubbly personality on The X Factor, Stacey Solomon entered the jungle and won the show in 2010.

11. Dougie Poynter

McFly guitarist Dougie Poynter was crowned King of the Jungle ahead of TOWIE's Mark Wright in 2011.

12. Charlie Brooks

EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks couldn't believe it when Ant and Dec announced her as the winner in 2012.

13. Kian Egan

After 22 days in the jungle, Westlife star Kian Egan was crowned the King in 2013.

14. Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty

Retired world super bike racer Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty won over the viewing public in 2014.

15. Vicky Pattison

Vicky Pattison showed a different side to her usual Geordie Shore antics, winning over the public and being crowned Queen of the Jungle.

16. Scarlett Moffatt

Former Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt was crowned Queen of the Jungle after winning the show in 2016.

17. Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo

Made In Chelsea star Georgia 'Toff' Toffolo won the show in 2017 after beating Jamie Lomas.

18. Harry Redknapp

Former football manager Harry Redknapp is the current King of the Jungle after beating Emily Atack in 2018.

19. Jacqueline Jossa

Despite the likes of Ian Wright and Caitlyn Jenner signing up for the 2019 series, it was former EastEnders actress Jac Jossa who was crowned Queen of the Jungle, beating Coronation Street's Andy Whyment in the final.

20. Giovanna Fletcher

Podcaster Giovanna Fletcher became the first ever Queen of the Castle in 2020, going up against the likes of Shane Richie, Vernon Kay and Mo Farah!

21. Danny Miller

Emmerdale actor Danny Miller became the first ever KING of the Castle in 2021 after a hectic series. He went up against the likes of David Ginola, Simon Gregson and Frankie Bridge!

22. Jill Scott MBE

Former England footballer Jill Scott MBE topped her amazing year off by being crowned the Queen of the Jungle in November 2022. Jill won the show ahead of Owen Warner and Matt Hancock.

23. Sam Thompson

Radio presenter and TV personality Sam Thompson took the crown in 2023, winning the public's hearts and votes ahead of Tony Bellew and Nigel Farage.

Now read:

Sam Thompson shares emotional update to fans after I'm A Celeb victory

I'm A Celeb fans beg for a Sam and Tony spin-off show

I'm A Celeb 2023 final voting figures revealed

How to listen to heat radio:

If your favourite music icons are the Spice Girls and your favourite Ks are Kylie and the Kardashians, you need heat Radio in your life! heat Radio is portable, so you can listen to us on the move. Simply download our app from your phone’s app store, listen online at heatradio.com and at heatworld.com. We’re on all the smart speakers too, just say “play heat Radio".