Downing Street Slaps Down Matt Hancock Over I'm A Celeb Appearance

The former health secretary is facing a backlash from his own colleagues.
Matt Hancock
Matt Hancock
Getty

Downing Street has slapped down Matt Hancock for joining I’m A Celebrity, saying that MPs should be “working hard”.

Hancock has the lost the Tory Party whip over his surprise plans to enter I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

The former health secretary has signed up to the ITV show, which is due to air on November 6, as a late addition.

However, the prime minister’s official spokesman told journalists: “The PM believes that at a challenging time for the country, MPs should be working hard for their constituents whether that’s in the House or indeed in their constituencies.”

The spokesman said it was “unlikely” Sunak would tune in to watch Hancock eat insects.

If you’d prefer to pretend to be a celebrity than do your job as an MP, then perhaps it’s indeed time to get out of here ⬇️

(More seriously. I’m all for MPs having non-political jobs both before and also during their work as an MP - but that doesn’t include tat like #IACGMOOH) pic.twitter.com/kebVsPvgJB

— David Wolfson (@DXW_KC) November 1, 2022

Lobby Akinnola, from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign, said Hancock was not a “celebrity” and added: “My family was ripped apart by Matt Hancock’s actions and turning on the TV to see him being paraded around as a joke is sickening.”

Tory MP Miriam Cates told BBC Politics Live: “It’s clearly wrong to do that while parliament is sitting.

“We’re elected to serve our constituents, that’s the job we’re there to do.”

Tory peer David Wolfson described the programme as “tat” and Tweeted: “If you’d prefer to pretend to be a celebrity than do your job as an MP, then perhaps it’s indeed time to get out of here.”

"Parliament is sitting, we're elected to serve our constituents, that's the job we're there to do"

Conservative MP Miriam Cates on Matt Hancock's decision to join I'm A Celebrity line-up#PoliticsLive https://t.co/wozBK4XmQm pic.twitter.com/aGBusWUHMq

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 1, 2022

Ian Houlder, a Conservative councillor on West Suffolk Council, said Hancock had “no shame”.

He added: “Everybody knows what he did during the Covid pandemic and he seems to want to rehabilitate himself all the time in the public eye.

“He’s got a skin as thick as a rhinoceros, quite frankly.”

Andy Drummond, deputy chairman of West Suffolk Conservative Association, said he was looking forward to seeing Hancock “eating a kangaroo’s penis”.

Drummond, who is also chairman of Newmarket Conservatives, in Hancock’s constituency, said: “I’m looking forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. Quote me. You can quote me that.”

Andrew Smith, a Conservative councillor on West Suffolk Council, said: “If I was him I wouldn’t have done it, to be perfectly truthful, but I’m not him.”

Former Tory MP and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ann Widdecombe told Sky News Hancock should not do I’m A Celeb.

She said no serving MP should” disappear onto a reality show” for weeks on end.

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