Matt Hancock has shown “incredible bravery” and the British public can now see the “great human being that he is”, a Tory MP fan boasted today.
Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers said she had been voting for the ex-Health Secretary on I’m A Celeb and it “would be great if he won” tonight's final.
She said “when it first started I found it very difficult to watch” because “it's a fairly sort of excruciating sort of thing to see people go through.”
But she told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “He's done fantastically well. I’ve certainly been voting for him and I wish him well with the final.”
She added: “He’s shown incredible resilience and bravery going through those tasks. And people can see him for, you know, the engaging, and, you know, and… sort of... and great human being that he is.”
Her support came despite Mr Hancock still not having the Tory whip - and being blasted by senior Tory and Labour figures for jetting off to the jungle while Parliament is in session.
He will battle it out at 9pm to be named King or Queen of the Jungle on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! alongside ex-England footballer Jill Scott, and Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner.
Mr Hancock’s team used his official Twitter account to send a “huge thank you” to voters backing him, adding: “Votes are now open, so Vote Matt for the King of the Jungle”.
But Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “I don't think serving MPs should be taking [part] in reality television programmes, however well they do on them.
“I still think they should be doing the job with which they are paid a good salary, which is representing their constituents”.
Labour shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News: “He should be at work.
“He's still being paid to be a Member of Parliament.
“And if he's anything like me, he'll be absolutely overwhelmed with cases of people who just don't know how they're going to get through the hardest winter imaginable.”
Ms Nandy added: “He needs to get out of that jungle, get back to work and start repairing some of that damage.”
Mr Hancock has said he will “make a donation” to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and causes supporting dyslexia, including the British Dyslexia Association.
But he has not said if he will donate his entire fee - which is rumoured at £400,000 and will be declared to Parliament at a later date.
A spokesman for the MP, who has paraded in spandex hotpants, said: “As soon as Matt's time in camp is up, he will return to Suffolk to hold surgeries where he will catch up with his constituents and discuss matters of concern.”
Last night the celebrities triumphed in the Cyclone challenge, which saw them fight their way up a slippery, obstacle-ridden slope while trying to win stars for camp for one last time.
Mr Hancock appeared thrilled, saying: "I never thought I'd make it to the Cyclone. It's going to be absolutely brilliant, I can't wait."
The MP, who earns £84,144 a year to represent the people of West Suffolk, added: "My highlight was definitely getting the 11 stars and the octopus. I was really bricking it and I wasn't expecting to be worried but then I saw the alligator and, really, I nearly lost it.”
