I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 2022 contestant Matt Hancock was quizzed by his fellow campmates over his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during the episode that aired on Friday, November 11. The MP controversially entered the jungle as a late arrival alongside comedian Seann Walsh, sparking backlash from the public, fellow politicians and his campmates.
As many will know, the former health secretary resigned from his position after breaking the Covid-19 social distancing rules he himself set. The West Suffolk MP caused outrage when a picture and CCTV footage was leaked of him kissing his aide, Gina Colangelo, both Matt and Gina were married at the time.
Since his arrival in camp, Matt has been grilled by his fellow campmates on his decision to sign up for the show, which saw him leave his constituents behind and also face questions about his affair. Matt revealed in a conversation with Babatúndé Aléshé that he had "fallen in love" and was hoping to see his girlfriend on the famous I'm A Celebrity bridge when voted out. You can read more on this here.
Read more: I'm A Celebrity's Olivia Attwood vows to 'be back soon' as she provides update after exit
On tonight's show, the campmates were seen quizzing the politician even further, asking Matt, outright, about the finer details of what really happened around the cheating scandal and his role during the pandemic. With the campmates chilling around camp, radio DJ Chris Moyles used it as the perfect opportunity to ask the 44-year-old politician his plans after the jungle.
Matt said: "I've just finished a book - Pandemic Diaries. Does what it says on the tin." Chris replied: "How warts and all is it?"
"Totally," revealed Matt. "Tells the story straight. Needs telling." He added: "Also, there's going to be an inquiry. That will tell the story straight as well."
Lionness footballer Jill Scott chimed in at this point and said: "[Bush]Tucker trials practise for your big trial?"
Chris then asked Matt bluntly: "You got a lockdown fine, didn't you?" Defensively, Matt admitted: "No, of course I didn't. No, I did not. I didn’t break any laws…"
Loose Women panellist and journalist, Charlene White, who was previously praised for grilling Matt on his decision to join the show, was quick to interject this statement, stating: "You were socialising with someone outside of your household."
"I didn't break any laws. Guidance is different," the MP said firmly. A Place In The Sun's Scarlette Douglas, who took Matt to one side on last night's episode to clear the air, added: "So there's a rule and there's a law."
Matt replied: "Guidance is guidance. But the problem was it was my guidance. That's why…"
"Why did you break your own guidance?" Scarlette interrupted. "Because it was a mistake, because I fell in love with somebody," Matt coyly responded. Scarlette continued: "But you did it anyway?"
Matt said: "It was... That's why I apologised for it. I feel very…"
Scarlette added: "It's that, kind of... you just do it and then afterwards it's like, 'Oh I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Matt said: "No, because it's bigger than that."
"It's massively bigger than that," Charlene said emotionally, as she explained that her aunt had died from Coronavirus in the first wave. Calmly, the daytime tv star, who earlier this year detailed her heartbreak at this situation on Loose Women, continued: "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."
Taking this in, Matt sighed and said: "Yeah. Well, there you go. That's one of the reasons that I regret it as much as I do.”
Charlene then asked: "Do you have regret regarding the way that as Health Minister you dealt with the pandemic as a whole?"
Matt replied: "So the pandemic as a whole no, I'm much, much more robust in my defence of it."
"Even when PPE, with carers and with old people's homes..?" the journalist said. Matt carried on: "So PPE for instance, I know, of course I saw what happened to it, but that’s because we suddenly needed masses more PPE and so did everybody else in the world. And care homes…
"There were reasons for the decisions that were taken and ultimately those problems were caused by the virus, not the people who were trying to solve the problem."
Trying to diffuse the brewing tension in camp, Sue, who in last night's show had a heart-to-heart with former Strictly celeb Seann Walsh in which he discussed his tarnished past- read more on that here - added: "I think we've covered everything, we should stop. What I do appreciate is that you did eat a sheep's vagina for us. And life isn't black and white and we are all fallible and we all f*** up."
Turning to Charlene, Matt was seen to be getting emotional and 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."
Sue said: "Well done, that's great. Just say that." Scarlette, getting emotional, added: "I nearly cried then." Matt replied: "So did I."
He continued: "We all make mistakes. I made a pretty big one."
In a move that shocked all viewers, Charlene then stood up and hugged the disgraced politician, as did Sue, who added: "The humanness has come out now. That took balls Matt to say that."
Later on, Sue was seen reflecting on the conversation in the Bush Telegraph as she told viewers: "It was the elephant in the room, wasn't it? I was glad that he said it and a line should be drawn beneath it and the elephant has departed."
Charlene, too, took to the Bush Telegraph to voice her thoughts: "It was a lot but you tend to get the best out of people when their guards are down and they feel safe." She added: "You could have blown me down with a feather, that was not what I was expecting at all. It is a very human reaction when you can see that someone is getting upset to give them a hug.”
This discussion came after Matt and Boy George were tasked with the latest Bushtucker Trial in La Cucaracha Cafe, which saw the pair eating and drinking disgusting and disguised dishes such as fish eye taco, blended meal worms with a witchetty grub garnish, camel’s penis, cow’s anus and a sheep's vagina. Luckily, the pair got stuck in and won 11 stars, meaning the campmates would eat a hearty meal between them.
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! continues at 9pm on ITV. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
- Stacey Solomon says Matt Hancock on I'm A Celebrity is ‘kick in the face’ after she was unable to see gran in lockdown
- I'm A Celeb's Sue Cleaver says Matt Hancock's arrival 'doesn't sit well' after ditching constituents
- I'm A Celebrity... Wales divided over Matt Hancock in the jungle
- I'm A Celebrity's Seann Walsh 'very sorry' for Strictly kiss scandal as he calls it 'worst moment in his life'
- I'm A Celeb's Mike Tindall says Zara 'almost choked him to death' during yoga mat home birth
