Matt Hancock is reluctant to say goodbye to his Australian adventure as the absentee MP has extended his stay and let his girlfriend fly home alone.
The former Health Secretary left girlfriend Gina Coladangelo to fly home solo as he stays in Australia to cash in following his stint on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 2022. The disgraced MP for West Suffolk defied expectations in the jungle and reached the final alongside Jill Scott and Owen Warner, before coming in third place.
After his exit from the Jungle, girlfriend Gina was there to meet him on the iconic I'm A Celebrity bridge as the two shared an embrace. Many of his celebrity campmates have already flown back to the UK to reunite with their families at home, Hancock has decided to keep his constituents waiting longer for his return, reports the Mirror.
Hancock's extended stay Down Under comes after his refusal to comment on exactly when he plans to return to work as an MP, and his team's inability to confirm if the politician will be donating his entire £400,000 fee from ITV to charity, like it has been implied.
Discussing Mr Hancock's decision to let Gina fly home solo, a source told the Mirror: "Matt was due to go home on Tuesday afternoon Australian time with lots of the other contestants and Gina.
"But he left her to fly home alone so he could make more money with a big interview. Gina was lucky winner Jill and Shelly took her under their wing and they stayed with her in the queue."
Hancock, 44, came third on I'm A Celebrity on Sunday night and couldn't keep his hands off girlfriend Gina once he returned to the JW Marriott Hotel on the Gold Coast.
The pair then wore white and enjoyed a drinks reception at the hotel before joining the other contestants for a three hour dinner party at La Luna restaurant at the Marina Mirage. When asked about his return to work, the MP declined to answer and held Gina's hand as they walked into the hotel.
Writing about his decision to do the show days before he entered the Jungle, Mr Hancock claimed: "As soon as my time in camp is up, I will return to Suffolk to hold a surgery where I will catch up with my constituents and discuss matters of concern."
However he left camp around 8am on Monday morning in Australia and will not fly home until late on Tuesday. He has been out of contact by phone or email for three weeks but still felt he had time to devote Monday to relaxing.
Mr Hancock's stint in the jungle was been slammed by millions across the country due to multiple reasons, including; the fact he is still a sitting MP (receiving £84,144 annually), his behaviour in government, his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic and questions surrounding contracts issued to private companies during Hancock's time as Health Secretary.
Before leaving his constituents in West Suffolk to appear on the reality show, Hancock said he would be "making a donation" to charity of the back of his jungle stint. On Sunday night, Hancock's office were unable to confirm if all of the politician's fee for appearing on I'm a Celebrity will be donated to charity.
Representatives for Hancock confirmed this evening that "the donations will be worked out on Matt's return" and explained how they are in contact with both the British Dyslexia Association and St Nicholas Hospice who they claim are "very happy with that arrangement".
But when asked multiple times if Mr Hancock plans to donate the entirety of his I'm A Celebrity appearance fee, rumoured to be around £400,000, the Mirror received no confirmation regarding exactly how much the MP intends to donate to charity and good causes.
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