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Catherine Addison-Swan

Matt Hancock set to face MPs in Parliament this week for first time since I'm A Celebrity

Matt Hancock is set to return to Parliament later this week for the first time since starring in the latest series of ITV's I'm A Celebrity.

The former Health Secretary will appear in the House of Commons on Friday, 2 December, to attend the second reading of his Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill, according to the PA news agency. The West Suffolk MP is also expected to spend time in his constituency this week after flying back to the UK.

Hancock named raising awareness of dyslexia as one of his main reasons for signing up for the ITV show. A spokesperson for the MP said: "By going on the show, Matt has raised the profile of his dyslexia campaign and has used the platform to talk about an issue he really cares about in front of millions of people."

READ MORE: I’m A Celebrity winner Jill Scott set to plan wedding with fiancée after jungle stint

However, many I'm A Celeb viewers pointed out that the MP scarcely mentioned the learning difficulty on screen during his time in the jungle, taking well over a week to bring up dyslexia to his fellow campmates for the first time. The MP's team confirmed that he has "no intention of standing down or stepping away from politics", meaning that he will likely face questions from colleagues when he returns to his day job later this week.

Hancock had the Tory whip suspended for signing up to the jungle, while Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that he was "very disappointed" in his decision to join the show. Hancock ultimately finished in third place behind Hollyoaks star Owen Warner and Lioness Jill Scott, suggesting that he managed to win some viewers over during his time in camp - but many others failed to be impressed by the stint.

Regulator Ofcom received more than 3,000 complaints from viewers over Hancock's involvement in the series, while a Covid campaign group flew a giant banner over the jungle camp calling for him to be axed from the show. Some viewers threatened to boycott I'm A Celeb for good after the MP made it to the final three, although voting figures for the finale revealed that he was some distance behind Owen and Jill with less than a quarter of the vote share.

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