Matt Hancock is set to face his second I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Bushtucker Trial after receiving the most public votes, shortly after entering the jungle.
The former health secretary, 44, took part in the Beastly Burrows challenge with fellow late arrival, comedian Seann Walsh, after the pair entered the jungle during Wednesday evening’s episode of the ITV reality show.
After leaving his fellow campmates somewhat disappointed after securing only six out of 11 stars in the challenge with Walsh, 36, Hancock will now face the Tentacles of Terror trial, which is set to air in Thursday night’s show.
Hosts Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly delivered the news, after which Hancock said: “Do you know what, I just knew it was going to be me and I still felt nervous.”
Hancock caused a stir as he entered the main camp, with many of the show’s famous faces shocked to see the West Suffolk MP, who had the Conservative Party whip removed after announcing his plans to join the show.
After Hancock and Walsh arrived, radio DJ Chris Moyles paid a visit to the Bush Telegraph 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.”
Also speaking in the Bush Telegraph, soap star Sue Cleaver added: “I don’t know what to say.”
Ant and Dec took Hancock’s arrival as an opportunity to poke fun at UK politics and jokingly addressed the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“I’m not sure how Matt is going to cope in camp though,” Ant said.
“You know, surrounded by people who don’t know what they’re doing, making it up as they go along and just trying to get by day to day.”
To which Dec jokingly added: “Evening, Prime Minister.”
The jibe comes after the presenting duo also poked fun at former prime minister Boris Johnson during last year’s series.
Dec went on to make fun of the Conservative Party’s recent leadership changes, adding: “By the way, who am I talking to there? Who is it this week? Is it still Rishi? Is it still him?”
To which Ant replied: “I think so, but they’re probably due a new one before Christmas.”
The campmates soon began to banter with Hancock and quizzed him over both his political decisions and his motivation for taking part in the show.
Referencing Hancock’s role in televised press conferences during the coronavirus pandemic, Moyles, 48, asked: “You’ve got to get it out of the way for me, please just say, ‘Next slide please’, and I’m really happy.”
After Hancock willingly said: “Next slide please”, Culture Club frontman Boy George told him: “You’re really going to get it. You’re really going to get it. Not from me, I mean, just from…”
TV presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas also appeared interested in Hancock, asking him: “Why did you decide to come in?”
He replied: “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.”
Douglas, 35, then asked: “How would you say you were?”
“More human than that,” Hancock replied.
When Cleaver, 59, told Hancock he was “a brave man”, he said: “Well, we’ll see how it goes.”
Douglas added: “I’m looking forward to getting to know you outside of everything else. That’s going to be good. Just be your authentic self.”
In the Bush Telegraph Douglas appeared open to getting to know the MP, saying: “To be fair, everyone’s human. We all have our own personalities outside what we are seen in the media.
“So listen, Matt Hancock has come on, he obviously has something to prove, so hey, everyone’s got their own reasons as to why they’re here.”
Elsewhere in Wednesday’s episode, Hancock and Walsh discovered they would be undercover moles in the main camp and were given a series of secret missions to undertake to earn the campmates their luxury items.
Called into Mole HQ – a separate secret camp where Hancock and Walsh started their jungle experience – the pair were told they must steal someone’s hat and gilet and bring them back to Mole HQ, call Moyles “Greg” on three separate occasions, and convince the camp that one of them is a keen bird-watcher by re-creating the calls of fictional Australian birds.
After receiving their missions, Hancock and Walsh were told: “Good luck and remember what goes underground stays underground.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues on ITV.
