Bungling Matt Hancock 's crass move from politics into showbiz descended into farce last night.
The MP's claim that he would chat to constituents while on I'm A Celebrity was called "delusional" by an insider.
And it can be revealed the ex-health secretary spent taxpayer cash on equipment to film himself for social media.
Calls are growing for him to quit, while Rishi Sunak's spokesman said the PM would not be watching the show.
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! bosses have confirmed the contestant will only be allowed contact with the outside world if there is an emergency.
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Hancock was branded "delusional" by a show insider over claims he will chat to constituents during his stint.
The former Health Secretary insisted in an article yesterday that he had agreed with the ITV show's producers that he can be contacted at any point for "urgent constituency matters".
But the I'm A Celeb camp in Australia is isolated from the real world and Hancock will even have his phone taken away.
An ITV spokesman added: "Celebs cannot speak to the outside world at all unless there are exceptional circumstances ie. an emergency."
A show source said of Hancock: "He is being delusional, you can't pick up the phone every few hours or write emails to people back home once you get in that camp. It doesn't work like that."
Hancock has had the Conservative whip suspended for shirking his duties at Westminster.
Rishi Sunak will not be tuning in to see the MP's jungle experience, Downing Street said tonight.
"I don’t think it's on his watchlist, he probably doesn't have time," the Prime Minister's press secretary said.
Executive producer Olly Nash defended the decision to offer Hancock a place knowing he would not be able to do his job.
He added: "Nobody has to do the show, nobody has to stay in camp and nobody has to do a trial. And at any point, any celebrity can say I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!"
Hancock landed Brisbane airport early today and defended himself, saying: "Politicians like me must go to where the people are – particularly those who are politically disengaged."
He will follow fellow Tory Nadine Dorries and Labour's Kezia Dugdale in appearing on the show but his decision has been met with fury.
Tory MP Tim Loughton described him as a "absolute prat" and he has faced calls to give up his £84,144-a-year MP's salary during his stint. The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice campaign accused him of "cashing in on his terrible legacy" as Health Secretary.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said MPs will "absolutely be hitting the phones" so he faces as many Bushtucker Trials as possible.
A Labour spokesman said: "The responsibility of Members of Parliament is to represent constituents."
Mr Hancock did not seek advice from appointments watchdog Acoba before agreeing to the appearance.
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: "He is shirking from his responsibilities. In any normal workplace he'd be sacked."
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