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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Rosaleen Fenton & Saffron Otter

I'm A Celeb stars' old tensions with Matt Hancock which could make jungle awkward

Last night saw the long-awaited arrival of Matt Hancock to the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here jungle. Despite 'disappointment' from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and a suspension from the Tory whip, the former Health Secretary has made it his mission to join reality TV in a bid to shine a light on politics and his dyslexia for a wider audience.

His fellow campmates might just be as shocked to see him as the public was when the news dropped that the West Suffolk MP was to become a contestant Down Under - and there are some that might want to see him devour kangaroo testicles just as much as ITV viewers back home.

Here, we take a look at just some of the celebs who might have a thing or two to say to Mr Hancock...

Charlene White

Charlene White has expressed her upset over losing a loved one during lockdown (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

There is no hiding for Matt Hancock when it comes to journalist Charlene.

The Loose Women panellist and newsreader is familiar with a heated debate, and before entering the jungle Down Under, she revealed that her role will be to ask questions about her fellow campmates.

She has also publicly spoken about her dismay over rule breaking during lockdown last year - which saw the former Health Secretary forced to resign after he was found to have broken his own social distancing rules by having an affair in his Whitehall office with aide Gina Coladangelo.

Earlier this year the presenter previously broke down in tears on the ITV panel as she opened up about the death of her aunt during the pandemic - so Matt Hancock could well face another grilling about his actions whilst at the helm of the coronavirus crisis.

Charlene, who arrived in the jungle before Mr Hancock, was left devastated in 2020 after her great aunt Dell died at St Thomas' Hospital from the coronavirus.

She detailed her family's heartbreak at not being able to comfort each other during the funeral and went on to admit that rule breaking MPs had made her rethink her actions that day.

Speaking at the time, she said: "My family stuck by the rules. We had to bury family members without being able to hug each other. I had to sit in a crematorium where my aunt was buried.

"Because I wasn't living in the same household as my brother and sister and my dad, I was in a pew by myself with my baby daughter on my lap as we're all in floods of tears and we can't hug each other."

"If we weren't all supposed to follow the rules, should have I just hugged my cousin?" (ITV)

Crying even more, she added: "I stood by the graveside as grave diggers were filling that grave and watching my cousin in floods of tears and not being able to hug her because we were following the rules, because we didn't know what else to do.

"We were told we had to follow the rules so we were following the rules with the understanding that those in charge were also doing the same thing."

"I just think, should I have just hugged my cousin?" she explained through tears, as she added: "If we weren't all supposed to follow the rules, should have I just hugged my cousin?"

Before entering the camp, Charlene was unaware of who her campmates were to be, and said: "I have got a natural curiosity for people so it doesn’t matter who I meet on a daily basis it could be, I don't know the security that has been working on this show, or people I bump into on the street, I am constantly asking questions because I love to learn about people.

"I think that you can learn a lot about life by asking questions and I think there is too much of a temptation for people to not be interested in other human beings, whereas I am of the opinion like 'oh my God there is like a million stories in each and every one of us' why do you not want to find out more about another person."

When questioned about the worst type of character she could come across on camp, she dismissed the idea and argued nothing would faze her.

"Working on Loose we have such a plethora of personalities which is incredible," she began.

"I think luckily my strength is that I have to work with different characters on a daily basis and not a lot fazes me to be honest. So I don’t really think there is a worst type of character, that is unless it was someone that wasn’t, particularly that fussed by the hygiene.

"I think that probably goes back to my Caribbean roots and having grown up in a Church where we were taught that cleanliness is next to godliness."

Sue Cleaver

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband and actress Sue Cleaver campaign together (Getty Images)

Although Sue hasn't outrightly spoken about Matt Hancock or the Conservatives, she has made her affiliation with the Labour party known.

Back in 2016, the Coronation Street star was pictured alongside the former Labour leader Ed Miliband in a campaign for remain votes amid Brexit while touring with the 'Labour In Battle Bus' at St John's Square in Blackpool.

And three years prior, Ed also toasted the end of his party conference at the soap's Rovers Return.

The then-party leader visited the Coronation Street set as Labour's five-day gathering in Manchester came to a close.

He used his visit to ask cast members for their tips on learning lines after delivering a 7,500-word speech to the conference without notes.

Meanwhile, fans of Sue, who plays Eileen Grimshaw on the cobbles, have jokingly used footage from Corrie scenes to predict what could break out in the jungle, with one using Photoshop to unconvincingly replace character Gail Platt's face with Mr Hancock's.

They joked alongside the image: "Sue Cleaver when Matt Hancock refuses to do a bushtucker trial."

Mike Tindall

The rugby ace has spoken poignantly of the effect that Hancock's strict Covid restrictions had on his family - namely The Queen, and his own mother.

Speaking after Prince Philip's funeral, where the Queen sat alone due to lockdown restrictions on April 9, he told how mourners were told to ‘get in their cars and go home’ due to Covid restrictions. Only 30 guests attended, in line with strict protocol.

On BBC Breakfast, speaking about the funeral, just days before Hancock’s affair was exposed, he said: "That is what is allowed, that is what the rules state, so that is what happened."

Mike Tindall has settled in well in the jungle (ITV)

Hancock was widely criticised after the married MP was caught canoodling with his mistress despite preaching to the nation to hug "carefully”.

The Sun exposed the-then Health Secretary’s affair with aide Gina Coladangelo, with CCTV images of them snogging at work on May 6, when indoor hugging was banned - just four weeks after the queen's funeral.

Days later, the hypocritical MP warned: "We should all be careful. We all know the risks. Of course there are people who have been yearning to have some physical contact.

"You should do that carefully. If you’ve had both jabs more than two weeks ago, that’s much safer.”

Mike Tindall with fellow contestants Owen Warner and Sue Cleaver (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

In December 2021, Tindall slammed politicians for breaking Covid-19 rules last - as he said they should take a leaf out of the Queen's book.

He urged MPs to "learn from her' instead of flouting Covid restrictions they imposed at around the same time as the Duke's funeral.

Speaking on podcast The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, dad-of-three Tindall said: "She just sets examples for everyone, you know?

"She's just a fantastic human being and what she's had to endure through her whole life is a credit to who she is and what she does for the nation.

"I mean, you look at what she did in terms of setting examples at the Duke's funeral; sat on her own, did everything by the book and exposed herself like that.

"That is what needed to be done in the country at that time.

The Queen sat alone to show solidarity with the rest of the world going through the pandemic, Mike Tindall said (Getty Images)
Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall during the funeral of Prince Philip (UK Press via Getty Images)

"Who knew that, whilst she was doing that, politicians were doing everything that they were doing. They should maybe learn from her.'

He also opened up on devastating effect Parkinson’s disease has had on his father and the isolation his parents faced during the pandemic.

Mike, a patron of Cure Parkinson’s, said his mother Linda is reluctant to employ carers as she is a "very stoic, northern lady who refuses to give her man up."

He added: "Then you throw in lockdown and literally they’re both on the vulnerable list so they have not literally left the house in a year.’

Highlighting the effect the lockdown restrictions had on vulnerable people, he admitted that his mum has "really missed companionship" during the pandemic, as she "doesn’t feel now that she’s comfortable leaving my dad alone".

Boy George

Tension could be brewing between Boy George and Charlene White (ITV)

Boy George shot to fame in the 80s as the front man of Culture Club - and he's now swapped his glitzy London life for the jungle. The 61-year-old is the highest paid celebrity to ever take part in the reality show. He's already hinted at tension in the camp, as he complained to DJ Chris Moyles about Charlene White's and Mike Tindall's cooking, before dubbing the Loose Women star 'bossy boots'.

But as disgraced former Health Secretary Matt Hancock enters the jungle, the warring pair might find themselves on the same side - as they have both objected to the Tories.

In 2011, the pop star bluntly tweeted: 'The tories are such pompous twats', before taking a swipe at Hancock over his comments on paedophile Jimmy Savile in 2020.

Matt Hancock shouldn't expect a warm welcome (ITV)

In 2017, the hit singer asked on Twitter: 'Why would anyone happily call themselves 'conservative? It's like, 'hi, I'm beige', and he previously claimed that he'd 'never vote Tory'.

In 2021, he joked that Hancock could be his 'gallant adversary' after a fan tweeted him to claim that the former Health secretary 'despises' him.

Scarlette Douglas

Scarlette might also be one to share her distaste over Matt Hancock's ITV gig.

During the height of the Covid pandemic, the A Place In The Sun host hit out at the MP over how the Tory's handled the global crisis.

Scarlette sent a series of tweets after Mr Hancock's affair came to light and although the former Health Secretary apologised for his behaviour in breaking his own lockdown rules, his words meant nothing to the property pro.

Scarlette's scathing tweets (scardoug/Twitter)
Scarlette hasn't been afraid to vocalise her thoughts on Matt Hancock in the past (James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Within 15 minutes of the apology video being posted on social media, where he announced his resignation, Scarlette tweeted 'good, get out of here'.

"He'll be looking for a place in the sun now," replied one fan, to which Scarlette wrote back: "As long as I'm not his presenter."

"Shouldn't have been given the chance to resign - should have been sacked!" another Twitter user replied, to which Scarlette said: "agree".

Chris Moyles

Chris was the first star to be announced for this year's I'm A Celeb (Radio X/Global)

Chris Moyles is known to be a controversial character and he even managed to anger I'm A Celeb viewers within seconds of appearing on the show.

He introduced himself as the "best broadcaster of my generation" - so we can take it as a sure sign that he won't be afraid to speak his mind.

While the radio host hasn't been critical of the Conservatives in the past, he has poked fun at Matt Hancock's old boss.

Taking to Twitter in July, he shared a spoof bingo sheet of Boris Johnson's most used phrases, writing: "The last ever Prime Ministers Questions.. I was so close to a full house" with phrases including 'captain hindsight' - referring to Keir Starmer - and 'the public wants ut to get on with the job'.

But in April 2020, an ambiguous tweet could be a sign of his support.

"It's really simple, you either like, dislike or are indifferent about Boris Johnson but you want him to recover," he wrote on Twitter. "It's it. Any other opinion isn't necessary. Have a good day people and stay positive and safe."

Seann Walsh

Seann was in a long-term relationship wth Rebecca Humphries at the time (Getty Images)
Seann is entering the jungle (ITV)

Love rat Seann Walsh whose life blew up after he was caught snogging his married Strictly partner Katya Jones has entered the jungle, alongside Matt Hancock.

The comedian, 32, found his life uprooted after he was caught snogging professional ballroom star Katya, which led to the end of Katya’s six-year marriage and his five-year relationship.

Following the affair, his girlfriend Rebecca Humphries released an emotional statement where she claimed Seann had dubbed her ‘psycho' and 'nuts' for questioning his friendship with Katya, who he kissed on Rebecca's birthday.

Following the revelations that Matt Hancock was having an affair with his aide, Seann poked fun at their similar circumstances - as they both ended up on the front page of The Sun - as he quipped: 'Having a bad day @MattHancock? Just count yourself lucky you don’t have to learn the Charleston.'

Babatúndé Aléshé

Babatúndé might be relieved to see the MP (ITV)

Funnyman Babatúndé might not be able to help himself when it comes to making a joke at Matt Hancock's expense.

But he could be one of few that will be pleased to see him, knowing he can pass the trial baton over.

The comedian has been nominated by the public to take on gruelling challenges to see him conquer his fears after an underwhelming start to the show, but he could soon be saved.

There is no doubt that viewers will start to vote for Mr Hancock to perform the most gruesome tasks once he's in the jungle.

One person wrote on social media: "Don't worry Babatunde you only have a couple of days of trials and then Matt Hancock is doing them for the rest of the series."

Another added: "I hope Babatunde realises he's going to be getting voted to do every trial until Matt Hancock comes".

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