Matt Hancock has revealed a text message he sent to Boris Johnson after Liz Truss resigned as prime minister.
Last month, Truss resigned as PM after just 45 days in the office, following which Johnson cut a holiday short so he could lobby for the position.
Johnson ultimately stepped down as a contender, leaving Rishi Sunak to succeed Truss.
Former health secretary Hancock, who is a contestant on this year’s I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, was asked about the situation by his fellow campmates on Tuesday night’s episode (15 November).
After sharing his honest verdict on Truss’s “political career”, Hancock was asked by comedian Seann Walsh whether he was “a Boris die-hard”, to which he replied: “Look, I was very supportive of him, but it was time. When it was time to go, it was time to go.”
Newsreader and Loose Women presenter Charlene White asked Hancock: “When he flew back from his holiday in the Caribbean, what was your first thought?”
Here, Hancock shared a text he sent to the former prime minister, which read: “You know I think you’re wonderful but it’s not your time. The best thing for the country is that you should back Rishi and that we should get him in post as soon as possible.”
He also shared his damning assessment of Truss and her future in politics.
Last week, Hancock tearfully told his campmates that he was “looking for forgiveness” for breaking his own lockdown rules during the pandemic. While the majority of his co-stars supported him, DJ Chris Moyles expressed wariness.
I’m a Celebrity continues nightly on ITV1 at 9pm.
