Matt Hancock's girlfriend and former aide Gina Coladangelo has jetted to Australia as the first I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here eviction looms. The former health secretary has just completed his first week in the jungle after being a latecomer to camp with comedian Seann Walsh.
Matt's appearance on the ITV reality show has ruffled feathers both in and out of the jungle with the 44-year-old's decision to appear on the hit programme criticized. It also led to the MP being suspended by the Tory party. But his appearance as a campmate hasn't come without a grilling.
Earlier this week, Matt was asked for his opinion on the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss. "What do you think went wrong, Matt?" he was asked before Corrie star Sue Cleaver queried: "Where does that leave her now?" Matt responded: "Her political career is over. No ambiguity at all." Loose Women star and ITV News broadcaster Charlene White also joined in on quizzing, asking the MP for West Suffolk: "Why do you think Tory party members went for the less experienced…"
Matt said: "I think that’s all about how Boris (Johnson) got kicked out. It was all about people seeing Rishi as wielding the knife against Boris." Charlene then continued to ask: "So they decided to, one could argue, punish the entire country, by putting someone in place who was less experienced?"
He was also quizzed early on for his reasons for appearing on the ITV show, which returned to Australia earlier this month for the first time in three years. At one point he broke down as he told ITV News broadcaster and Loose Women star Charlene White that he was 'looking for forgiveness'.
Now, Matt's girlfriend Gina has spoken about what she thinks about how Matt is getting on in the jungle, especially after he faced six consecutive trials after being voted for by the public. As she arrived at Brisbane airport, Gina told the Mirror that it would be "difficult not to be impressed" by his performance in the show so far.
She added: "I have been watching the show, it would be difficult not to be impressed, he has done really well. He is made of tough stuff. But it is good they are sharing (trials) round now."
In June last year, Matt resigned as health secretary after he was caught breaking coronavirus social distancing rules by having an affair in his ministerial office with Gina, who was his aide at the time. While appearing on the reality show, he called his past behaviour a "mistake", saying that he "fell in love". He added that he was looking for "a bit of forgiveness".
Gina also suggested that being apart whilst he has been on the ITV show has been difficult, after Hancock revealed she would be waiting for him on the bridge when he leaves the jungle. "Obviously yes I have missed him," she said as she headed off to the luxury hotel the I'm A Celeb stars' families are staying.
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