Matt Hancock's arrival on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! was always going to spark a reaction from his fellow campmates. The former health secretary and comedian Seann Walsh entered the jungle on Wednesday, November 9 as late additions, much to the shock of the camp.
“You’re really going to get it. You’re really going to get it. Not from me. I mean just from...,” Boy George told Matt as he acclimatised to life in camp. There was a general aura of shock from Chris Moyles, Babatunde Aléshé and Sue Cleaver, who called him a "brave man" for appearing on the ITV show.
Many had questions for the politician, including Scarlette Douglas also asked: "Why did you decide to come in?”
Replying, Matt said: "Why? Because, all politicians are known - and me in particular - for being in a very sort of strict way of being. Which is just not actually how we are.” Scarlette then asked: “How would you say you were?" And he answered: “More human than that.”
She then told him: “I’m looking forward to getting to know you outside of everything else. That’s going to be good. Just be your authentic self.” After the conversation, in the Bush Telegraph she said: “To be fair, everyone’s human. We all have our own personalities outside what we are seen in the media. So listen, Matt Hancock has come on, he obviously has something to prove, so hey, everyone’s got their own reasons as to why they’re here.”
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Meanwhile, actor Owen said to Babatúndé: “Do you have any strong views on the geezer?” And he said: “It’s hard to kind of like push your views aside, it really is, because of the many people whose lives have been affected. But, at the same time, we’ve got to be welcoming and we’ve got to treat people as humans obviously.”
Loose Women's Charlene White then pulled Matt aside. She told The Bush Telegraph: "This is going to make this so difficult for me. I can only imagine the reaction back home. I can imagine it hasn't gone down well." Sitting down with the politician, she asked him why he wanted to do the show and he replied: “Because there’s, honest truth, is because there’s so few ways in which politicians can show that we’re human beings, so I just thought it would be good to do that. I’ve got a sense of adventure.”
"If I can use this to sort of peel myself back a bit and just be me, it’s better,” Matt added before Charlene replied: “But I can imagine it would not have gone down well at all at home? You have to expect that. Because Parliament is still sitting, we’re not in recess, you know…”
Matt said: “I genuinely think that because we’ve now got sort of stability that is," and Charlene stated: “We’ve had stability for all of five minutes Matt.” He replied: “Rishi’s great, he’ll be fine.”
Charlene said: “But you can understand if people aren’t very happy at home about it?” And Matt replied: “I understand that. But I also.. of course I get that, right. But I also just think that sometimes you’ve got to do things differently.”
“I’m not sure going on I’m A Celebrity is the way to do it but you’re doing you and it’s a decision you’ve made and honestly it will be fascinating just to see,” Charlene said before sitting down in the Bush Telegraph once again and saying: “Politicians do tend to use that line, ‘I feel as though the public need to know the real me’. I’m not necessarily sure a reality TV show is the way to do that.”
Viewers shared their thoughts on Matt and Charlene's conversation in particular, with one person writing: "Really pleased there is a journalist in there holding Matt Hancock to account. Good on Charlene for doing that and not holding back." And a second said: "Not sure Matt Hancock hoped that there would be a senior ITV news journalist on I’m A Celeb. Charlene saying it how it is."
A third wrote: "Charlene missing her job that much she needs to interview Matt Hancock to get to the truth of what’s really going on." And a fourth commented: "I’m sorry but Matt Hancock walking into the camp being absolutely grilled by Charlene has to be the highlight of British TV."
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! continues at 9pm on ITV. For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
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