Matt Hancock has his eye on TV fame after announcing he will not stand again as an MP.
He promised to quit at the next election, but it emerged his local party planned to oust him anyway.
Mr Hancock posted: “There are exciting possibilities ahead.”
The disgraced ex-health secretary said today he will step down as an MP to explore “exciting opportunities” outside Parliament.
But minutes later it emerged he was jumping after local Tories launched a plot to oust him.
Now Mr Hancock is cooking up plans to keep himself in the spotlight after his appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
His allies told the Mirror he has “lots of irons in the fire ”, including becoming a host of TV documentaries.
Mr Hancock, who was forced to resign as a minister after breaking his own Covid rules, has already made a large sum of money by cashing in on his notoriety.
He is thought to have earned £400,000 for going into the jungle, has just published a tell-all memoir on his time in government, and is expected to get a big cheque for an exclusive deal with a national newspaper.
Tonight there were calls for him to leave Parliament immediately so someone else can represent his West Suffolk constituency.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “ Matt Hancock should stand down now and trigger a by-election… His constituents deserve better than a part-time MP chasing fame and fortune.”
Mr Hancock was stripped of the Tory whip last month after he abandoned his constituents to join ITV's I'm a Celebrity.
During his five-week absence from Parliament, Mr Hancock's team had insisted he had no intention of quitting politics.
But in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today, he said: "I am writing to tell you that I do not intend to stand for the Conservatives at the next general election."
The former Cabinet minister claimed he had been told by the Chief Whip on Friday - when he finally returned to the Commons - he would have the whip restored in "due course".
The MP said that would be "now not necessary" and that he wants to "do things differently".
"I will play my part in the debate about the future of our country and engage with the public in new ways,” he added.
"I have discovered a whole new world of possibilities which I am excited to explore - new ways for me to communicate with people of all ages and from all backgrounds.”
Mr Hancock also posted a video on the social media site TikTok announcing his decision. “There are exciting possibilities ahead,” he said.
But moments after he made his announcement, it emerged his local Tory association officers had concluded they had "no confidence" in him.
Terry Wood, president of West Suffolk Conservatives, had already written to Chief Whip Simon Hart to declare that he was "not fit to represent this constituency".
Mr Hancock’s allies tonight told how he was preparing for a new life outside Parliament in the worlds of television and business.
A friend said: “Obviously he’s an MP for however long until the next election, so he will be concentrating on that. But there are lots of irons in the fire.
“Matt will use his public profile to highlight the serious issues he cares about.”
The friend said it was likely he will do a TV documentary on dyslexia, but they added: “While Matt’s time in the jungle was a success, he won’t be looking to do any more reality TV.”
They went on: “If you look at Matt’s history, he’s interested in innovation, he’s got a background in business and economics.”
Mr Hancock earns £84,000 as an MP. If he remained in Parliament for another 18 months to two years, he would get between £126,000 and £168,000.
