If you were looking forward to watching Matt Hancock swimming in a paddling pool of maggots on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, we’ve got bad news for you.
The former health secretary may be exempt from some of the show’s famed Bushtucker Trials because he apparently has trench foot.
A source told The Sun he began suffering from the condition after filming SAS Who Dares Wins in October.
“Matt got trench foot - in fact, a lot of the cast did,” they said. “It can take up to six months to recover from that, so any water-based tasks or swimming trials would be bad news for his feet.”
The MP, who’s lost the Tory Party whip after signing up for his latest reality show, has yet to address the rumours, nor has ITV.
But if you’ve been left puzzled by the news (because let’s face it, most of us associate trench foot with WW1) this is what you need to know about the condition.
What is trench foot?
Trench foot, also known as immersion foot, occurs when the feet are wet for long periods of time, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Symptoms of trench foot include a tingling and/or itching sensation, pain, swelling, cold and blotchy skin, numbness, and a prickly or heavy feeling in the foot,” it says. “The foot may be red, dry, and painful after it becomes warm.”
Trench foot can also be a little unsightly, so Hancock may want to keep his trotters out of shot while in the jungle.
Blisters can form on the feet and left untreated, the condition can cause dry skin and dying tissue to fall off.
“In severe cases, untreated trench foot can involve the toes, heel, or entire foot,” the CDC says.
Though the condition is rare these days, it is still seen among fisherman, hikers and, clearly, those who’ve struggled to keep their feet warm during th extended five minutes of fame.
Let’s hope the I’m a Celeb contestants know what they’ve signed up for.