Matt Hancock will have permission to communicate with outside world on I’m A Celeb

2022-11-01

It’s been revealed that Conservative MP Matt Hancock will be granted special communication permissions during I’m a Celeb in case of an emergency back in the UK.

It was revealed on Tuesday that the MP for West Suffolk would be one of two stars to enter the show later than the other contestants.

And it has now been announced that ITV will relax some of the rules for Mr Hancock, 44, so he can still communicate with the UK, The Sun reports.

This comes after the Tory Chief Whip, Simon Hart, confirmed that Mr Hancock would have the whip suspended for leaving his government position to do a reality TV show.

He said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”

But sources close to the politician have hit back at the critics, saying the show is a great way to promote his dyslexia campaign.

"I'm A Celeb is the most watched show on TV. Matt doesn’t expect to serve in Government again, so it's an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the 12million Brits who tune in every single night,” a source said.

The friend also said that Mr Hancock was "flattered and naturally curious" when first approached by ITV, and initially turned it down, "because of the instability government was facing at the time.”

But after Rishi Sunak began his stint as Prime Minister, the MP believed it was the right time.

The source continued: "Matt has always believed in communicating directly with the people he represents – whether that’s getting out and pounding the streets in West Suffolk, through all sorts of media or via those press conferences."

While most people would think that an MP's job is to vote on legislation, the source insisted that a stint on I'm a Celeb could offer the public a chance to see Mr Hancock as he truly is.

They also argued that the show would offer a "human side" to the politician, stating that young people and those who are "politically disengaged" are more likely to engage with politics and by extension Mr Hancock, on their own turf.

A spokesperson for Downing Street said that the PM is against the decision, and would prefer that Matt stay in the UK political jungle, not the Australian one.

They said: "The PM believes that at a challenging time for the country MPs should be working hard for their constituents whether that's in the House or indeed in their constituencies."

While Mr Hancock served as Health Secretary during arguably one of the biggest health crises in recent history, he is arguably most well-known for being caught on CCTV kissing his advisor.

Back in 2020, he was snapped kissing his aide, Gina Coladangelo, despite both parties being married to other people and the act being against the very restrictions he imposed.

After a rather mucky resignation, he said: “I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances.

“I have let people down and am very sorry.”

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