Matt Hancock has been called out by Chris Moyles after the ex-health secretary explained he is “looking for a bit of forgiveness” by appearing on I’m A Celebrity.
The MP made the plea after being confronted by fellow campmates as he admitted he made a “mistake” and regrets the actions that led to his resignation.
Journalist Charlene White passionately explained how a relative died during the first coronavirus wave, and that his excuse “doesn’t really cut it” for many affected families.
Hancock broke coronavirus social distancing rules during the pandemic by having an affair in his ministerial office with aide Gina Coladangelo, and has said it was caused by the fact he “fell in love”.
While his explanation drew sympathy from some in the jungle, radio star Moyles was more cynical. “Forgiveness for what, Matt?,” he said away from Hancock. “What are you sorry for?”
It came as the sitting MP faced eating camel’s penis, sheep’s vagina and cow’s anus during Friday’s episode.
After the challenge, Hancock was questioned by his campmates about his affair.
Hancock, who resigned as health secretary in June 2021, said: “It was a mistake, because I fell in love with somebody. That’s why I apologised for it.”
TV presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas said: “It’s that kind of, you just do it and then afterwards it’s like, ‘Oh I’m sorry, I’m sorry’.”
Hancock replied: “No, because it’s bigger than that.”
Loose Women star White said: “It’s massively bigger than that. My aunt died from Covid in the first wave.
“So, we couldn’t go to the hospital to go and visit her. I had to sit by myself in the church at her funeral. We couldn’t hug each other because we were following guidance.
“And I get that you fell in love, I understand all of those things, but sorry for a lot of families like mine doesn’t really cut it.”
Hancock replied: “Yeah. Well, there you go. That’s one of the reasons that I regret it as much as I do.”
Speaking to White, he added: “Do you know what it is actually, what I’m really looking for is a bit of forgiveness, that’s what I’m really looking for.”
Douglas said: “I nearly cried then.”
Hancock replied: “So did I. We all make mistakes. I made a pretty big one.”
The exchange prompted both White and Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver to give him a hug, to which the actress added: “That took balls Matt to say that.”
But in a scene where Moyles and Douglas were talking one-on-one, he said: “Forgiveness for what, Matt? What are you sorry for? Are you sorry for being caught? Sorry for having an affair? Sorry for making bad decisions? Sorry for lying? What?”
He added: “If you’re going to be real. I’m trying to be as real as I can. When I think he’s not being real, it’s bugging me, I don’t know why. We’ve all made mistakes. You put your hands up. You’re honest. If you’re at that point where you genuinely feel that bad, you go, I’m sorry. You take it. I’m sorry. And he’s trying to portray that he’s being totally honest. It’s eating away at me.”
The MP joined the cast on Wednesday after facing much criticism over his decision from the public and fellow politicians.
The public voted for Hancock and Culture Club’s Boy George to take part in the Bushtucker trial, marking the politician’s third consecutive challenge since arriving in camp on Wednesday with comedian Seann Walsh.
Sitting opposite each other at a Mexican-themed jungle cafe called La Cucaracha Cafe, meaning The Cockroach Cafe in English, Hancock first faced a fish-eye taco which he said tasted “very fishy”.
Hancock had to drink an entire glass of blended meal worms accompanied with a witchetty grub garnish – which he described as “absolutely disgusting” branding the texture “horrible”.
The Tory MP said eating the tip of a camel’s penis was “soft and crunchy”, and described the thought of eating a sheep’s vagina as “disgusting”.
After being served a cow’s anus, he added: “The texture’s terrible and all the time you’re thinking about what you’re eating. I don’t recommend it as a main course.”
Co-host Ant McPartlin joked: “We’ll take it off the menu, thank you for that.”
For the final star, Hancock had to eat a cockroaches and blended cockroach dip.