David Haye’s girlfriend flattered by ‘ugly bird’ remark and slams I’m A Celeb women

While I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa viewers were so ‘revolted’ by David Haye’s comments about his girlfriend that they switched off, the woman herself was flattered.

Last week, the pro boxer, 45, sparked fury in camp when he referred to model Sian Osborne, whom he began dating in 2020, as an ‘ugly duckling’.

The likes of Scarlett Moffatt and Ashley Roberts recoiled, with the Gogglebox star scolding David with, ‘You can’t say that!’

Still, he doubled down, insisting that while she is ‘lovely’, Sian ‘has the personality of a proper ugly bird’.

‘Most ugly girls realise they’ve gotta have a personality and the banter to tell jokes and s**t, so people overlook the fact that they’re not aesthetically amazing straight away,’ he said to everyone’s astonishment.

‘It’s called ugly duckling syndrome,’ he told his fellow celebs. ‘Where girls are ugly when they start off, then they get pretty as they get older, but they’ve still got the personality of when they were ugly.’

Social media was ablaze with outrage as the conversation aired, with users branding David ‘disgusting’ and ‘sexist’.

However, the person at the centre of it all has finally given her thoughts.

Speaking to The Sun, Sian, 33, insisted that she considers David’s divisive remarks ‘a big compliment’.

‘I’m fluent in David by now, and my family find it hilarious,’ she explained.

‘When David tells me I have the personality of an ugly bird — meaning a girl so full of life and character that her looks become irrelevant — he is giving me something the entire modelling industry never once did.

‘I don’t class it as inflammatory.

‘That’s everybody else scratching their heads, looking for something to be offended.’

Continuing, Sian described her partner as ‘the embodiment of masculinity’, which ‘women aren’t used to anymore’.

Still, she’s not surprised his female campmates ‘kicked off’.

‘But I feel completely safe next to David because he is exactly who he says he is at all times.’

Sian went on to say that her own relatives have now started using the term ‘ugly duckling’ in an ‘endearing’ manner, with her own mother ‘absolutely delighted’ by the whole thing.

Addressing the backlash, Sian argued that ‘the entire point of feminism was that women should not be told what to do, or have their choices made for them’, calling it ‘hypocritical’ to tell her she should be ‘offended by something [she] found funny’.

David filmed the second All Stars series of I’m A Celeb last September, with Sian flying out to stay at the Kruger National Park during his stint.

The heavyweight champ first took part in the show in 2012, finishing third, a record he’ll undoubtedly be hoping to beat this time around.

He faces tough competition, however, from other campmates, including Gemma Collins, Harry Redknapp, Sir Mo Farah, and Adam Thomas, who’ve proven popular with viewers.

Comedian Seann Walsh was the first to be eliminated; because the show is pre-filmed, exits are determined by the campmates themselves, taking power away from the audience.

The final, though, will air live from London this month, with a winner yet to be determined, as hosts Ant and Dec will announce the new Jungle Legend after a public vote.

Whether David will make it to the end remains to be seen, although there’s no denying that those watching at home have had enough of his behaviour, saying producers should have ‘stepped in’.

His other problematic antics have included appearing to ‘fat-shame’ Towie star Gemma, having also denied her water. He’s been called a ‘sore loser’ from plotting to steal food from the rival camp and even a ‘bully’ after clashing with Waterloo Road actor Adam.

In a recent episode, the boxer and soap star clashed due to Adam feeling unwell and David going on a rant about ‘guys who are a bit useless’.

X users called David ‘infuriating’, arguing that he himself has ‘contributed nothing’, while Adam has persisted despite likely being in pain due to his psoriatic arthritis.

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

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