Over a week of wince-inducing anticipation has come to an end, for Matt Hancock has entered the I’m a Celebrity jungle. His first day saw him covered in slurry and cockroaches, send fellow campmates into fits of giggles and tears and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, sing Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. Here are his most striking moments so far.
Hancock fumbles the big entrance
You only get one chance to make a first impression. In what may turn out to be a prophetic start to his jungle journey, Hancock stumbled on the notoriously rickety bridge. Will he make his return trip with a crown on his head? Probably not.
Matt in his head: Now's your time to show people I'm not a bumbling idiot.
— Jake Connor Sherratt (@jsherratt95) November 9, 2022
Matt on his first 5 seconds in the jungle:#ImACeleb #ImACelebrity pic.twitter.com/pQ0HZhKj6L
Then almost immediately starts singing
Matt Hancock: "I love (Ed Sheeran). I'm from Suffolk as well." This is perma-Accidental Partridge pic.twitter.com/eiIkIxgWES
— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) November 9, 2022
We all know Hancock is going to be covered in bugs and gagging on kangaroo bits at the behest of the British public, but the best moments of cringe may turn out to be self-inflicted. In a stunning scene, the former health secretary sang a rendition of Ed Sheeran’s Perfect. It must be stressed that none of this was forced. After casually dropping that he wouldn’t get a tattoo of any singer’s name on his neck, he revealed his love for Sheeran then went on to sing a few lines. Before barely finishing a warning about his voice – “don’t get me singing, I’m terrible” – Hancock continued his performance.
Seann Walsh’s face
Well, Seann did not see that coming 😅 #ImACeleb@SeannWalsh @MattHancock pic.twitter.com/2h84VL9l66
— I'm A Celebrity... (@imacelebrity) November 9, 2022
For more than a week, we’ve been reacting to the news that Hancock will be joining the show. He’s lost the Conservative party whip and caused fury over his rumoured £400k payday. His junglemates have been none the wiser, so it was always going to be fascinating to watch their reactions. As the first person to see Hancock, Walsh’s uncontrollable laughter and tears were a very funny – and fitting – introduction.
Shoving Seann’s hand in a box full of rats
The first challenge did not disappoint. A jungle classic, Walsh and Hancock had to find stars in a pitch-black tunnel of horrors. After being pelted with slime and cockroaches, they come across a box full of rats. Almost immediately, Hancock decided Walsh would be the one digging the star out of the box. Hovering and hesitating, Hancock grabs his hand and tried to shove it in. Walsh wasn’t up to the task, so Hancock swiftly did the job himself. What a hero, he likely thought.
Charlene White’s face
Charlene: "Why are you here?"
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) November 9, 2022
Matt Hancock: "I want to show that politicians are just human beings too."
Charlene: ... #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/mhiapYtU1Y
In an exchange in which the ITV News and Loose Women presenter Charlene White asked Hancock why he was in the jungle, he responded that he was there because “there are so few ways in which politicians can show that we are human beings”. Silently speaking for the nation, White said nothing and just looked into camera with an expression that screamed, “Yeah right”.
On Thursday, Hancock will face the Tentacles of Terror, the next of many inevitable bushtucker trials. Let’s see how he fares.
