I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! contestants told Conservative MP Matt Hancock he was a "brave man" for entering the show amid intense political backlash.
The former Health Secretary has faced intense scrutiny over his decision to enter the reality show in Australia instead of representing his constituents in Westminster. The disgraced politician entered the jungle alongside comedian Seann Walsh after they had completed their first Bushtucker Trial.
The two new arrivals made their way to camp to meet the rest of the contestants, and tell them all about their recent challenge. First to spot the duo arriving was Coronation Street's Sue Cleaver who said: "Oh, oh, oh.”
In the Bush Telegraph, radio DJ Chris Moyles couldn’t believe the arrival and said: “Oh my god, two new people have arrived. One of them is Seann Walsh and the other one… I’ve got to go back and double check!” Sue, 59, was just as shocked and added: “I don’t know what to say.”
Many viewers were looking forward to an immediate row with Matt, but the hungry campmates were more interested in how many stars the pair acquired during their trial. After Loose Women’s Charlene White, who has already clashed with pop icon Boy George, asked how many stars they won, Matt said they got six out of the 11 available.
Comedian Babatunde, who yesterday conquered his fear of heights after leaving Charlene dangling for 45-minutes on Sunday, joked about winning more stars and said the newbies have “got a lot to live up to…”
“They weren’t desperately impressed with six stars were they?” Matt said in the Bush Telegraph, to which Seann replied, “They were not!”
Elsewhere during the introduction, Chris asked Matt to say “next slide please” as he would during covid briefings, and naturally, Matt granted the DJ his wish. Viewers were left unsurprised when Boy George, 61, chimed in: “You’re really going to get it. You’re really going to get it. Not from me. I mean just from…”
When Scarlette, 35, asked why Matt decided to join the cast, he confirmed: “Why? Because, all politicians are known - and me in particular - for being in a very sort of strict way of being. Which is just not actually how we are.”
“How would you say you were?” the TV presenter asked again, to which Matt replied, “More human than that.”
Sue added: “You’re a brave man.”
During the height of the pandemic, as the country shut down and people were unable to see loved ones for over a year due to Matt’s policies, the politician was caught red-handed in a cheating scandal.
At the time, The Sun released CCTV pictures that showed Matt locking lips with his aid, Gina Coladangelo, despite both of them already being married. After facing widespread backlash from both the UK public and his political competition, Matt stepped down from his role.
*I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! continues tonight on STV.
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