Matt Hancock received a brutal grilling from his fellow I'm a Celebrity campmates as his surprise arrival sparked a mixed response.
Viewers of the hit ITV show got their first glance of the former health secretary in the jungle on Wednesday night as he, along with comedian Seann Walsh, took part in their first Bushtucker trial. The pair achieved six out of 11 stars but the camp weren't overly impressed with their efforts.
As the pair arrived in the main camp, radio DJ Chris Moyles paid a visit to the Bush Telegraph and said: "Oh my god, two new people have arrived. One of them is Seann Walsh and the other one… I’ve got to go back and double-check!" Also speaking in the Bush Telegraph, soap star Sue Cleaver added: "I don’t know what to say."
Read more: Ant and Dec bring I'm A Celebrity to abrupt end as tradition 'scrapped' due to trial twist
But while some were welcoming, others gave him a bit more of a frosty welcome. And music legend Boy George issued a warning to the 44-year-old telling him: "You’re really going to get it. You’re really going to get it. Not from me I mean, just from…"
After Hancock's surprise arrival, his campmates began to banter with the West Suffolk MP, who had the Conservative Party whip removed after announcing his plans to join the show, and questioned him over his political decisions.
Referencing Hancock's role in televised press conferences during the coronavirus pandemic, Moyles, 48, asked: "You’ve got to get it out of the way for me – please just say: ‘Next slide please’, and I’m really happy."
Hancock willingly said: "Next slide please," while TV presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas also appeared interested in Hancock, asking him: "Why did you decide to come in?"
He replied: "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." Douglas, 35, then asked: "How would you say you were?" "More human than that," Hancock replied.
When Cleaver told Hancock he was "a brave man", he said: “Well, we’ll see how it goes.” Douglas added: "I’m looking forward to getting to know you outside of everything else. That’s going to be good. Just be your authentic self."
In the Bush Telegraph she appeared open to getting to know the MP, saying: "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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