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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Charlotte McLaughlin

Boy George: I would rather Matt Hancock over Nigel Farage in I’m A Celeb jungle

Boy George has said that he would rather be on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! with Matt Hancock than Nigel Farage.

The 62-year-old singer, who rose to fame as the frontman of pop band Culture Club, spent time with Hancock in the jungle as he featured on last year’s Australian-based show.

Former Ukip and Brexit party leader Farage, 59, is set to compete on the new series when it returns to ITV1 on Sunday night.

Boy George was asked on Heart Dance’s breakfast show which politician, Farage or former health secretary Hancock, he would like to be in the jungle alongside.

He replied saying: “I’m afraid to say it would be Matt Hancock.”

Boy George also said that it was “fascinating” being in the jungle alongside someone who espouses a Conservative viewpoint.

He added: “I’m not ever going to vote Tory so it doesn’t really matter if it’s Nigel Farage or Matt Hancock… unless there’s a miracle happening.

“You know I don’t like being a lefty, I hate that. It’s really insulting, what does that mean? I’m a critical thinker. I like to think about things.

“So being confronted with someone who’s in principle, ‘oh he’s the antithesis to everything I stand for’.”

Last year, Hancock came third in the celebrity competition to former Lioness Jill Scott, who was named Queen of the Jungle, after he was voted to complete numerous bushtucker trials.

His appearance attracted numerous complaints to broadcaster watchdog Ofcom as he competed, following his resignation as health secretary over film emerging of him kissing an aide in his office.

His stint was the second most complained-about TV event of last year.

Since he lost the Conservative whip for competing on the show, Hancock has announced that he will step down as an MP at the next election.

He also competed on Channel 4 reality competition Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins, where he was beaten during the finale by singer Gareth Gates.

In the first episode of the new series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, Nigel Farage will be stranded in the middle of the Australian outback alongside This Morning host Josie Gibson and YouTuber Nella Rose.

They will be faced with a challenge to help their fellow celebrities who are 2,000 miles away on the Gold Coast.

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