Displaying the ripped physique that’s made him a fitness magazine cover star, he has put the tensions which blew up between him and campmates David Haye and Jimmy Bullard firmly behind him. He tells The Mirror: “I've obviously had a bit of a year with the jungle and all that stuff. But I've never been better.”A dramatic fall-out between Adam, 37, and former Fulham footballer Jimmy, 47, on the ITV show in April, saw the show hit with more than 1,000 Ofcom complaints. Accusations flew, with Jimmy saying Adam’s expletive-filled outburst was intimidating, while many of the complaints were about alleged bullying behaviour displayed towards Adam by former boxer David Haye, 45, and Jimmy.But it’s clearly water under the bridge for Adam, who says, philosophically: “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, hey?”In the case of Waterloo Road star Adam, who plays teacher Donte Charles and played Adam Barton in Emmerdale for nine years, that certainly looks to be true.‌Determined to make the cover of Men’s Fitness mag, Adam - who lives in Cheshire with his wife Caroline, a dance school owner, and their children Teddy, 11, and Elsie-Rose, eight - has been seriously hitting the gym. He explains: “I just wanted to focus on myself, really, and get my head in a great space. This wasn’t just physical for me, but mental as well.“I'm really proud of myself, and I don't really say that often. At the beginning of the year, I started this vision board. I’d never done a vision board before in my life, and I said I wanted to be on the front cover of a fitness magazine. I ticked that off.”Adam, whose twin brother Scott was on Love Island in 2016 and whose brother Ryan,42, played Jason Grimshaw in Corrie, says one person was key to him learning how to take positive action after tricky situations like the camp rows - his former teacher.‌According to Adam, who with his brothers co-hosts the popular podcast, At Home With the Thomas Bros., his former drama teacher Darren Gordon gave him the tools for success.Recalling his early school days, growing up in Manchester, he says: “There were a few times that I could have got expelled. I was a bit of a tearaway, always causing mischief. I wasn't a bad kid but I was always being the class clown, I was always distracting other people.“My son came home from school and was upset. He said, ‘the other kids in class are stopping me from learning, Dad.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my, I was one of those kids!’”‌School was tough, according to Adam, who says: “Being a twin brother, I went to public school and my twin went to grammar school. His nickname was ‘the professor’, he was very clever.“Even at a young age, there was pressure for me to compete with my brother. I remember GCSE day. He got all A*s, I wasn’t expecting any. I remember being so nervous and feeling like I was going to let my mum down.”Adam, who came ninth on Strictly in 2023, initially wanted to be a dancer. He says: “I wanted to do dance, but my school wouldn’t let me, because I was the only boy that wanted to do it in school. Maybe I would have won Strictly if I was able to do dance. I’d have had the training.”‌But it was drama that became his saviour. He continues: “The arts meant the world to me, because I just knew that was the one thing that I was good at. One thing my report card did say was ‘he's going to be a star. He's going to be on TV.’“I never looked at school as a place to learn, because I think from such a young age, I always knew what I wanted to be.”An ambassador for the Blue Light Card Teacher Impact Report, a newly released study that reveals how teachers shape pupils’ lives long after they leave the classroom, in an emotional video for the campaign, Adam reunites with Darren Gordon, who taught him at Mid Cheshire College, Hartford and Winsford.‌The Blue Light report reveals that 63% of Brits believe teachers deserve more recognition, while 53% say they still don't receive the credit they deserve.Adam says: "Teachers are the unsung heroes of most people's lives. Darren was more than a teacher. He was a friend. He was one of those people that I could talk to about anything and everything.“Those teachers are so important - they change and shape lives. Darren certainly did that for me. Darren created a space where I could be who I wanted to be. I felt so safe in those rooms.”‌With Darren’s encouragement, Adam won the part of Donte in Waterloo Road, which he played first time around from 2006 to 2009, then moving to Emmerdale, where he stayed until a conversation with EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey star Larry Lamb.He was on I’m a Celebrity with Larry in 2016, when he came third, and recalls how the older actor encouraged him to jump ship. He says: “It's very difficult to leave a soap and go on to something else. After a time, you get very comfortable, and it becomes like your safety blanket“I left Emmerdale because of the Jungle when I first did it in 2016. I remember having a conversation with Larry Lamb in there, and he was like, ‘you need to get out there, you need to do other stuff.’”However, after handing in his notice, Adam struggled to get acting work, adding: “I left and then nothing happened, and I was like, ‘Oh, s*** - this is not how it's supposed to go. Larry lamb what were you thinking?’‌“I started working as an estate agent, working a nine-to-five. I was turning up at viewings, and showing people around houses. They were like, ‘what the f*** are you doing here?’ It was a very humbling experience.”Then in 2023, Waterloo Road came knocking again and Adam reprised his role. But when the going got tough, Adam says it was Darren’s words of encouragement that kept him going. He says: “He always told me to believe in myself. And so I did. I try to teach my kids the same thing. You’ve got this. You can do it. It will all work out. And I truly believe that it will.”Adam's teacher Darren says...Darren Gordon, a director, agent and acting coach and formerly Adam Thomas' drama college teacher, says: "I first met Adam as a shy and reserved 14 year old. Brother to a soap star, he also had ambitions of a career as an actor. His polite and enthusiastic manner made him immediately appealing to work with, but as soon as he accessed strong emotion in performance, his work went to another level.‌“He has always been an absorbing and engaging artist, able to access any emotional state with stark authenticity, almost instantly, then drop it on 'cut', as quickly as it appeared. “Meeting him again thanks to Blue Light Card brought it all back. Adam is a formidable and irrepressible personality. To be thanked by him and reconnect properly was a truly special moment.”*The reunion marks Blue Light Card's Teacher Impact Report, which reveals teachers’ lasting influence beyond the school years. Eligible teachers can renew for £4.99, unlocking savings at 15,000+ brands.