Matt Hancock has had the Tory whip suspended after it emerged he was entering the jungle for I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! The former UK health secretary will be the 12th contestant to enter the ITV reality show, which features famous faces performing gruelling tasks such as being smothered in insects or eating kangaroo penis. But the MP for West Suffolk faced a backlash from Conservative MPs and his constituency party over his taking part – and will now sit as an independent. The show overlaps with time when the Commons is sitting.
The Conservative chief whip, Simon Hart, said he believed the matter was “serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect”, while Andy Drummond, the deputy chair of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, said: “I’m looking forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. You can quote me on that.” Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson said the prime minister believed that “at a challenging time for the country, MPs should be working hard for their constituents, whether that’s in the house or in their constituency”. This week, Hancock pulled out of the running to chair the Treasury select committee and announced a new book, Pandemic Diaries, on his experiences as health secretary during the Covid crisis. The Guardian understands he has already filmed another reality TV show this year – Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Hancock resigned as health secretary last year after CCTV footage was leaked showing him kissing his closest aide, Gina Coladangelo, in his ministerial office, in breach of his own Covid rules on social distancing. One source close to the minister said the show’s producers had agreed for his constituents to continue communicating with him on urgent matters while he was in the jungle. They also said Hancock did not expect to serve in the cabinet again. “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 12 million Brits who tune in every single night,” they said. Hancock reportedly turned down an offer to appear on the show initially but reconsidered after the demise of Liz Truss’s premiership, with the government restored to a semblance of stability. Hancock backed Sunak in the leadership contest but was not asked to return to the cabinet. “When he was first approached to take part, while he was flattered and naturally curious, it didn’t take him too long to turn the opportunity down because of the instability government was facing at the time,” the ally of Hancock said. “Now, though, the government is stable.” They said Hancock had talked to the whips “in the same way any MP would when going on a foreign visit, which happens all the time”. The source said politicians “must go to where the people are – particularly those who are politically disengaged … Matt’s of the view that we must embrace popular culture. Rather than looking down on reality TV, we should see it for what it is – a powerful tool to get our message heard by younger generations”. Lobby Akinnola, from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign, said: “Matt Hancock isn’t a ‘celebrity’; he’s the former health secretary who oversaw the UK having one of the highest death tolls in the world from Covid-19 while breaking his own lockdown rules. “The fact that he is trying to cash in on his terrible legacy, rather than showing some humility or seeking to reflect on the appalling consequences of his time in government, says it all about the sort of person he is.” Hancock will make a donation to St Nicholas hospice in Suffolk, though not the full fee, which will be disclosed in the register of members’ interests. Before the bushtucker trials begin, Hancock faces questions from Eric Pickles, the chair of the watchdog the advisory committee on business appointments. As Hancock left government in the last two years, he is bound by rules requiring him to consult the committee for permission for post-ministerial roles. The Guardian understands the committee has not received an application for Hancock’s appearance and Lord Pickles will be writing to Hancock to ask for an explanation. Breaches of the rules have no financial penalty but could reduce Hancock’s chances of receiving an honour. Ten celebrities will join I’m a Celebrity this Sunday when the new series starts, and Hancock will be one of the late “bombshell” arrivals, along with the comedian Seann Walsh, the Sun reported. Hancock is the latest figure from the political sphere to appear on the show after the likes of Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and Lembit Öpik. Dorries was suspended by the Conservative party in 2012 after it emerged she was to take time off from parliament to be a contestant on the show. She was later censured by the parliamentary standards watchdog for failing to disclose her fee.
I’m a Celebrity returns to the Queensland jungle in Australia for the first time in two years, after it relocated to Wales during the pandemic. Last year’s competition was an eventful one, as Richard Madeley pulled out due to illness, and a storm forced producers to evacuate the contestants and temporarily stop filming. Other celebrities on the lineup this year include the singer Boy George, rugby star Mike Tindall, England footballer Jill Scott, Loose Women’s Charlene White, TV presenter Scarlette Douglas, comedian Babatunde Aléshé and radio host Chris Moyles. There will also be a number of soap and reality TV stars, including the Coronation Street actor Sue Cleaver, Hollyoaks’ Owen Warner and Love Island’s Olivia Attwood.