Matt Hancock left everyone stunned after announcing he would be taking part in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 2022.
The former Health Secretary is set to take home an eye-watering £400,000 for his jungle stint down under. The ITV show, which is returning to Australia for the first time in two years after the coronavirus pandemic, is set to see a bunch of celebrities battle it out for King or Queen of The Jungle.
Mr Hancock is ditching his day job as an MP representing his constituents at Westminster, to head to the Aussie outback. The MP has become one of the highest paid signings of the show, as in comparison Noel Edmonds was reportedly paid £600,000 to take part.
Caitlyn Jenner, who took part on the show in 2019, and Harry Redknapp, who starred in 2018, were both reportedly paid £500,000 for their time.
"Matt’s pay deal with I’m A Celebrity is around £400,000 which is one of the largest ever show fees to have been paid out," an insider said. "ITV was keen for viewers to think the deal was worth around £150,000 but in reality it’s over double that."
The source added to The Sun: "They asked him to be on the show three times in a matter of weeks and the money definitely helped seal the deal."
Mr Hancock will be joined on the reality show by Love Island star Olivia Attwood, Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver, Mike Tindall MBE and Boy George.
It's thought that Mr Hancock will be donating a large chunk of his earnings from the show to charity, specifically St Nicholas Hospice Care, a charity he raised almost £8,000 for at last year’s London Marathon.
"Matt will be making a donation to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk, and he will, of course, declare the amount he receives from the show to Parliament to ensure complete transparency, as normal," a source told Metro.
Despite donating his salary to charity, Tory bosses aren't happy with his decision to take part in the reality show while parliament is sitting and he has since been suspended as a Conservative MP. Simon Hart, who is in charge of Tory MP discipline, said he had taken the decision after speaking to Mr Hancock.
Andy Drummond, deputy chairman of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, said he was looking forward to seeing Mr Hancock "eating a kangaroo's penis".
Defending his decision to take part in the reality show, Mr Hancock said: "It’s our job as politicians to go to where the people are – not to sit in ivory towers in Westminster. There are many ways to do the job of being an MP. Whether I’m in camp for one day or three weeks, there are very few places people will be able to see a politician as they really are."
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