Matt Hancock has arrived in Australia after it was revealed that he would be a campmate in the line-up for the newest series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here. ITV bosses are still yet to confirm the news after confirming its full 11-person line-up earlier this week.
The show, which for the last two years has been filmed in a Welsh castle due to the coronavirus pandemic, has returned to the outback in Australia and earlier this week ITV bosses released official pictures of this year's line-up which includes Boy George, Mike Tindall, Chris Moyles, Jill Scott, Owen Warner, Olivia Attwood, Sue Cleaver, Scarlette Douglas, Babatunde Aleshe, Seann Walsh and Charlene White.
But while the 11 named celebrities will go into I'm A Celeb this Sunday, the former health secretary, 44, is reportedly set to be one of two latecomers who'll go into the camp. The other is comedian Seann Walsh, 36, who was included in the rumoured line-up as the stars landed at Brisbane Airport last week.
When he arrived at Brisbane Airport, Hancock, who has been suspended by the Tory party in the wake of his signing being revealed, has said he is going to Australia to join I’m A Celebrity so he can "go to where the people are — not to sit in ivory towers in Westminster."
The MP said "I haven’t lost my marbles" by deciding to join the reality show after being suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party and that his "first priority" is to his constituents as he flew over 10,000 miles to join the programme. Mr Hancock has defended his decision whilst speaking to The Sun, saying entering the jungle is “a great opportunity to talk directly to people who aren’t always interested in politics”.
He went on to say that reality TV is an "honest and unfiltered" way to communicate with voters. "It’s our job as politicians to go to where the people are — not to sit in ivory towers in Westminster,” Mr Hancock wrote. "There are many ways to do the job of being an MP. Whether I’m in camp for one day or three weeks, there are very few places people will be able to see a politician as they really are.”
He added: "So, the truth is, I haven’t lost my marbles or had one too many pina coladas. It’s something I’ve given a lot of thought to." He went on to say that he wants to use this "incredible platform" to raise awareness of dyslexia. He said he turned down the programme "twice this summer" but had a “change of heart” after bosses asked a third time last week.
Mr Hancock said it was not the money that changed his mind, but promised to make “a donation” to St Nicholas Hospice Care in Suffolk, though he did not disclose the exact amount. He said he feels able to go to the jungle now the "Government is stable". He also said he can be reached on "any urgent constituency matters".
The programme returns to ITV on Sunday, November 6 at 9pm.
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