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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Charlotte Tutton

Matt Hancock addresses initial frosty reception from I'm A Celebrity campmates

I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 2022 star Matt Hancock was given a light grilling following his exit from camp earlier this evening.

The disgraced Tory MP joined hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly for an interview as it was announced he had come third in the final, leaving Jill Scott and Owen Warner left to battle it out to become King or Queen of the Jungle.

"That was something," Mr Hancock told the Geordie duo as he sat down ready to look back on his time on the jungle.

Laughing, Dec replied: "That's one way of summing it up."

In his first TV interview since signing up for the series, Mr Hancock was grilled over his time in the jungle - but also the frosty atmosphere with his co-stars when he entered the camp.

Matt Hancock addressed the initial backlash from his campmates (ITV)

After watching a montage with Mr Hancock featuring his jungle 'best bits', Dec pointed out how there had been a reaction to Mr Hancock's decision to appear on the ITV show.

"I carry with my expectations...people think they know me and actually they don't, they know Matt Hancock from TV and the media," Mr Hancock said at the start of his chat with Ant and Dec.

The presenting duo then asked Mr Hancock about how some of his campmates, like Charlene and Sue, asked him tough questions about his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ant and Dec laughed with the MP as they looked back on his time on the show (ITV)

"Some of those grillings were really, really enjoyable and a release," Mr Hancock admitted when quizzed about his campmates frosty reaction to his arrival.

"And some were very emotional about... some of the parts of my past that everyone knows about."

When asked by Dec if he understands why people have questions, Mr Hancock replied: "Of course. I live with it and I feel it and but was I was able to do is have grown up conversations about it."

Ant and Dec went relatively easy of the MP during his exit interview (ITV)

"I just went in absolutely clear I was going to be totally myself, as if the camera's weren't on, and that's what I did - that's what I'm like," Mr Hancock said of his time in the jungle during his chat with Ant and Dec.

"I know it was controversial me coming here," he said, responding to the backlash of him coming on the show but he was determined to show the two sides of him as he bid farewell to Ant and Dec and rushed to see his girlfriend Gina on the bridge.

It comes after the disgraced MP made it to the final three, following Mike Tindall's surprise exit from the jungle during last night's show.

I'm A Celebrity fans took to social media to share their Mr Hancock had landed himself a place in the final at the expense of the former rugby player.

"The public really are beyond belief voting for @MattHancock no way should he be in @imacelebrity final. #wrong #fix #insulting," one horrified fan declared on Twitter last night.

Mike missed out on a place in the final, much to the disappointment of many I'm A Celebrity fan (James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Another angry tweet read: "I’m a celebrity 2022. What a fix, seriously Matt Hancock beat Mike Tindall and is in the final 3…. Really not good, do the British public not recall what Hancock did. Who is voting for him."

Mr Hancock couldn't believe he made it so far on the reality TV show either.

"I can’t believe I’m in the final. It’s brilliant… I’m just so grateful," the controversial politician admitted the Bush Telegraph following Mike's exit.

Having won all of their stars in the final Trials, Mr Hancock, Lioness Jill and Hollyoaks star Owen enjoyed a slap up meal during this evening's episode of I'm A Celebrity.

The MP for West Suffolk had garlic king prawns to start, steak and chips with a mozzarella side salad. For dessert he had homemade apple pie with salted caramel ice cream. He had red wine and blue cheese with crackers as his treat.

First to go from this year's series of I'm A Celebrity was Loose Women and ITV News star Charlene White, with TV presenter Scarlette Douglas second to leave.

Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver was next to go, sparking a sexism row over the vote, while the fourth exit of the series saw campmates wave goodbye to singer Boy George.

Fifth to exit was comedian Babatunde Aleshe, followed by radio star Chris Moyles and then comedian Seann, who entered with Hancock as a late arrival, was seen leaving on Friday night.

I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!'s live final airs on Sunday night at 9PM on ITV and ITVX.

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