# Adam Thomas
**Adam Gordon Thomas** is an English actor and television presenter, born in 1988 in Salford, Greater Manchester, best known for playing Donte Charles in the BBC school drama *Waterloo Road* and Adam Barton in the ITV soap opera *Emmerdale*[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/29926/adam-thomas). He is the younger brother of actor [Ryan Thomas](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-thomas), who played Jason Grimshaw in *Coronation Street*, and the fraternal twin of Scott Thomas, a *Love Island* season two finalist[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Adam Gordon Thomas, born 1988 in Salford, Greater Manchester[1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/29926/adam-thomas) |
| Signature roles | Donte Charles in *Waterloo Road* (2006–2009, revival from 2023); Adam Barton in *Emmerdale* (2009–2018)[3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) |
| Awards | Best Soap Newcomer, 2010 TV Choice Awards; nominations for Sexiest Male at the Inside Soap Awards (2011, 2013) and Best Drama Star (2023)[3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) |
| Reality TV | Third place, *I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!* series 16 (2016); eighth place, *Strictly Come Dancing* (2023)[4](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/sites/default/files/2026-03/I%27m%20a%20Celebrity...%20South%20Africa%20Press%20Pack.pdf) • [3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) |
| Presenting | Co-host of *I'm a Celebrity: Extra Camp* (October 2019); co-presenter with Ryan Thomas of ITV's *99 to Beat*, released March 2025[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/) |
| Family programs | *Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai* (2020) with brothers Ryan, Scott, and their late father Dougie; co-host of the podcast *Mancs on the Mic*, also with his brothers[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/) • [3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) |
| Health | Lives with an inflammatory arthritis, first announced in 2023 as rheumatoid arthritis and later described as psoriatic arthritis[6](https://ibmagazine.co.uk/adam-thomas/) |
## Early career and Waterloo Road
Thomas made his on-screen debut with a guest role on the daytime soap *Doctors* in 2002, appearing in the program three times in all, each time as a different character[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html). His breakout came in 2006, at age 17, when he joined *Waterloo Road* as Donte Charles, described by one profile as the show's "resident bad boy"[3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) • [7](https://www.revamp-magazine.co.uk/adam-thomas).
He played Donte until 2009, then reprised the character when the series was revived in 2023, returning to a role now airing on [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) and [BBC iPlayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-iplayer)[3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) • [5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/). In the revival, his real-life niece Scarlett Thomas plays Izzy Charles, Donte's daughter[8](https://bbc-waterloo-road.fandom.com/wiki/Adam_Thomas).
## Emmerdale
Thomas left *Waterloo Road* in 2009 and joined ITV's Yorkshire-based soap *Emmerdale* as Adam Barton, a role he held for nearly nine years, until 2018[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html) • [7](https://www.revamp-magazine.co.uk/adam-thomas). The part made an immediate impression: he won Best Newcomer at the 2010 TV Choice Awards[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html).
His storylines included a grief-induced breakdown after his father's death on screen, fertility issues, and a plot in which his character falsely admitted to a murder to protect his mother[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html). He left the soap in 2018 to pursue presenting and theater work, a move he has credited to a conversation with [Larry Lamb](https://www.edgepedia.org/larry-lamb) during *I'm a Celebrity* in 2016, in which Lamb told him he needed to "get out there" and do other things[2](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html) • [9](https://www.aol.ca/articles/im-celebs-adam-thomas-says-145808000.html).
## Reality and presenting work
**I'm a Celebrity.** In 2016 Thomas was a contestant on the 16th series of ITV's *I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!*, finishing in third place[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/). He completed 12 trials during the series, enough to earn him the nickname "Mr Bushtucker Trial"[4](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/sites/default/files/2026-03/I%27m%20a%20Celebrity...%20South%20Africa%20Press%20Pack.pdf). In October 2019 he co-hosted the spin-off *I'm a Celebrity: Extra Camp*[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/). He has described a long-standing phobia of spiders and cockroaches, including two hypnotherapy sessions before entering the jungle in 2016[4](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/sites/default/files/2026-03/I%27m%20a%20Celebrity...%20South%20Africa%20Press%20Pack.pdf) • [10](https://www.itv.com/imacelebrity/articles/adam-thomas-interview).
**Strictly Come Dancing.** Thomas was one of 15 celebrities in the BBC's 2023 *Strictly Come Dancing* cohort, where he finished in eighth place[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/) • [3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/).
**Family shows and podcasts.** In 2020 he starred with his brothers Ryan and Scott and their late father Dougie in the six-part ITV series *Absolutely India: Mancs in Mumbai*, in which the family visited India to trace their heritage[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/). He co-hosts the podcast *Mancs on the Mic*, also issued as *At Home With the Thomas Bros*, with his brothers, and co-hosts a *Waterloo Road* podcast[3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/) • [5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/). In March 2025 he and Ryan released the primetime ITV competition show *99 to Beat*, on which both serve as presenters[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/) • [1](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/29926/adam-thomas).
## Business and health
Thomas is a restaurateur and entrepreneur whose brand Oh My Glaze sells hot sauces, with a flagship outlet at the [Trafford Centre](https://www.edgepedia.org/trafford-centre)[5](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/) • [3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/). [Companies House](https://www.edgepedia.org/companies-house) records show him as a director of an active sauce company from 5 August 2020[6](https://ibmagazine.co.uk/adam-thomas/).
In 2023 he announced publicly that he had rheumatoid arthritis, and he has since described the condition as psoriatic arthritis; he has spoken about family support, self-doubt, and the routines he uses to rebuild physical strength, including work with Bupa on joint health and physical wellbeing[6](https://ibmagazine.co.uk/adam-thomas/). A feature in *Men's Fitness* documented a strength and physique transformation he made during a busy period of his career while managing the condition[11](https://mensfitness.co.uk/features/adam-thomas-and-his-journey-to-cover-model-fitness/).
His publicly stated heritage is English, Indian, and Caribbean: his paternal grandfather was from Mumbai and his paternal great-grandmother was West Indian, the background the 2020 India series explored[3](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/).
## References
1. [Adam Thomas, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/29926/adam-thomas)
2. [Meet Strictly's Adam Thomas, the Waterloo Road star with fame in the family, The Independent (4 November 2023)](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/adam-thomas-wife-strictly-come-dancing-b2441664.html)
3. [Actor & Entrepreneur Adam Thomas, Great British Speakers](https://www.greatbritishtalent.com/talents/adam-thomas-speaker/)
4. [I'm a Celebrity... South Africa Press Pack, ITV Press Centre](https://www.itv.com/presscentre/presscentre/presscentre/sites/default/files/2026-03/I%27m%20a%20Celebrity...%20South%20Africa%20Press%20Pack.pdf)
5. [Adam Thomas, McSaatchi Merlin talent profile](https://www.mcsaatchimerlin.com/person/adam-thomas/)
6. [Adam Thomas Continued Public Work While Living With Arthritis, IB Magazine (12 August 2026)](https://ibmagazine.co.uk/adam-thomas/)
7. [Adam Thomas, Revamp Magazine](https://www.revamp-magazine.co.uk/adam-thomas)
8. [Adam Thomas, BBC Waterloo Road Wiki](https://bbc-waterloo-road.fandom.com/wiki/Adam_Thomas)
9. [I'm A Celeb's Adam Thomas says he's 'proud' after bitter David Haye feud, AOL](https://www.aol.ca/articles/im-celebs-adam-thomas-says-145808000.html)
10. [Adam Thomas interview, ITV I'm a Celebrity](https://www.itv.com/imacelebrity/articles/adam-thomas-interview)
11. [How actor and I'm A Celebrity winner Adam Thomas beat arthritis to build the best body of his life, Men's Fitness](https://mensfitness.co.uk/features/adam-thomas-and-his-journey-to-cover-model-fitness/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Soap operas and continuing serials › British and Australasian soaps and characters › British soap actors and production people*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license