Matt Hancock's vicar has hit out at the MP's decision to join this year's line-up on ITV's I'm a Celebrity.
The former health secretary, 44, was voted by the public to take part in his fifth consecutive trial on Saturday night's episode. Hancock’s previous trials have seen him covered in treacle and feathers, trapped inside a cage partially submerged in water and crawling through dark tunnels.
But The Rev Max Drinkwater has criticised Hancock's reported £400,000 I’m A Celeb stint. He said at St Mary’s, in Haverhill, Suffolk: “Our MP has clearly neglected his constituents by going into the jungle.”
Not only does the vicar wants him out of the jungle – he also wants the MP out of his job. He even used his sermon to blast Hancock, telling parishioners: “Our MP has quite clearly neglected his constituents by going into the jungle.”
He backed calls for the MP to quit – but signalled redemption was possible if resurrected new life is about holding those with power over us to account, and Matt Hancock needs to be held accountable. “
“I’ve been pleased to see lots of messages, including from our mayor, encouraging him to resign – this is part of that fight for justice.”
The vicar’s reprimand, in last Sunday’s sermon at 12th century St Mary’s Church in Haverhill, West Suffolk, only emerged on Saturday (November 12). He told the Sunday Mirror he stands by the comments at a time when many parishioners and constituents are facing tough times.
As millions saw Hancock being coated in slime, he said: “We have a rising cost of living and people are struggling with the uncertainty, making it very difficult to plan, to budget and to cope with the changes that are happening. Foodbanks were initially started to tide people over but for many local residents there is currently no hope of getting out of debt or poverty in the near future.
“As a vicar of the church, forgiveness is open to everybody but we’d expect to see a practical response to forgiveness by addressing some of the issues raised by his constituents.”
The vicar’s pulpit blast came at the same church where Hancock was invited four years ago to preach on the value of public service. Ironically, he was seen by almost 10 million viewers on Friday’s episode begging for “forgiveness” over his behaviour during the pandemic.
At a time millions were told to stay away from loved ones, he was caught on CCTV in an office clinch with aide Gina Coladangelo, 43. It made a mockery of his own guidance over social distancing – and he resigned as Health Secretary.
I’m A Celeb campmates grilled him about it and he apologised, blaming the indiscretion on falling in love. Yet despite the cold reception he received when he first entered camp, Hancock is getting a lot of air time as he is constantly voted to do Bushtucker Trials.
In Haverhill – population 27,000 and the largest town in his West Suffolk constituency – locals echoed the words of the Rev Drinkwater. Many are incensed that 44-year -old Hancock is earning a reported £400,000 on the show while they struggle to get by.
Wendy Norris, curate at St Mary’s, said the vicar’s intervention was highly unusual. She said it was very rare for the church to mix politics and religion, but that the people of Haverhill were united in wanting him out.
Wendy added: “The problem is Matt is focusing on other issues as opposed to his constituents, and that is what people are concerned about. “Haverhill is a working-class town and we have lots of people who are finding things very challenging.”
Locals weighed in with criticism too. Carer Mary Northrop, 54, said: “It doesn’t make sense why he went in there because everywhere is struggling. You can’t plan for Christmas because you don’t know if your heating is going to be on or if you’ll have enough to put food on the table.”
Charles Dore, who runs a foodbank in nearby Newmarket, said demand for provisions had doubled in the past year. He said: “Just this morning I had a referral from a local primary school – a mother with four children who desperately need our help.” He said Hancock visited the foodbank last year and “gave the usual MP spiel”.
Hancock and his Tory colleagues faced stinging criticism during the pandemic over a catalogue of errors. There were delays in locking down, a crippling shortage of PPE and a failure to isolate Covid patients re-entering care homes.
But the clinch with Gina was ultimately Hancock’s undoing. And on Saturday, Anglican priest the Rev George Pitcher – who says he is friends with Gina – also called on the MP to leave I’m A Celeb.
He wrote in a column: “Stop trying to reclaim a youth that has passed. Your time of life is now. Own it. Step up to the plate. And step out of the jungle.”
Since going on I’m A Celeb it emerged Hancock also filmed a Channel 4 series of Celebrity SAS – to be screened next year. And Pandemic Diaries – his inside account of Covid – is out next month.
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