Many across the country are fuming following Matt Hancock surviving the first public eviction on this year's series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
The ITV show's hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly headed into camp earlier this evening, and announced to the stars that the public had been voting to save their favourite celebrity.
As Charlene White was revealed as the camper with the fewest votes, and therefore evicted, those watching at home took to social media to slam voters for missing a chance to send Mr Hancock home.
Some even shared their fears the politician could go all the way and win the show later this month.
The former Health Secretary - who receives £84,144 a year as a sitting MP - had originally been the bookies' favourite to get the boot first from camp, thanks to his actions during his political career.
But after facing Bushtucker Trial after Bushtucker Trial, it seems the MP who lost the Tory whip before heading Down Under has won over a few I'm A Celebrity viewers.
"She’s out but Hancock stays! I’m a celeb has gone down the s*****r," one angry Twitter user raged as it was revealed Charlene was the star leaving camp.
"They've kept Matt Hancock in I'm A Celeb!!! People are voting to keep him," another astounded viewer wrote, as a third added: "I'm a celeb - why is Hancock still there? Send him home!!"
One even went as far to tweet: "Looking at the tweets for I'm a celeb and convinced the British public are going to forgive Matt Hancock for letting their nans die and cheating on his wife at the same time just cos he won some stars."
Mr Hancock was forced to quit as Health Secretary in June 2021 after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules by conducting an affair in his ministerial office with aide Gina Coladangelo.
The West Suffolk MP played a prominent role in the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and branded anyone ignoring social distancing rules and restrictions as "very selfish" prior to being caught having an extra-marital affair.
Last year, former Downing Street chief adviser Dominic Cummings alleged, "tens of thousands of people died who didn't need to die" during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic due to what he claimed to be "criminal, disgraceful behaviour" within Downing Street under the supervision of Mr Hancock.
Following this evening's first live eviction, some have predicted Mr Hancock could possibly win the ITV series later this month.
" Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak. And we'd be surprised if Matt Hancock won I'm a Celeb?? #ImACeleb," one viewer wrote on Twitter as Mr Hancock survived the public vote.
"If Matt Hancock wins I’m a celeb I’m never watching it again, can’t stand the man," another wrote in fear, as a third predicted: "The “oh it’s a really hard job actually what would you do in that situation” people are going to vote Matt Hancock to win I’m a celeb aren’t they."
Mr Hancock claimed he was heading into the jungle to raise awareness of his dyslexia campaign prior to appearing on the ITV show for the first time earlier this month.
His stint in the jungle has been controversial, with Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice launching a campaign titled 'He's no celebrity - stop Matt Hancock appearing on I'm A Celebrity' before he entered camp.
On Tuesday, the campaign group flew a huge banner which read the words 'Covid Bereaved Say Get Out of Here' over the camp in Australia.
A spokesperson from the petition site explained that the plane was 'hired and sent out to make sure Matt gets the message'.
Last week, I'm A Celebrity viewers claimed the politician was doing a better job of promoting his upcoming book rather than focussing on his original motivation for signing up for the show.
Despite a lot of negative tweets directed at the MP following this evening's eviction, some I'm A Celebrity fans have braved saying they support Mr Hancock on social media.
"Who else wants Matt Hancock to win I'm a Celeb, the amount of p***ed off lefty luvvies is just an added bonus? #ImACelebrity," one fan of the MP has declared on Twitter.
"Matt Hancock is coming across as a nice guy," another supportive tweet reads, while a third viewer quipped: "Do I dare say it Matt Hancock to win I'm a celebrity get me out of here!."
