Former health secretary Matt Hancock has had the Tory whip suspended with immediate effect after it was revealed he has reportedly signed up to join I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Mr Hancock is expected to swap representing his constituents at Westminster for eating bugs in the jungle.
The MP was was a surprise extra name added to the list of contenders after the full line-up of campmates for the 2022 series were revealed by ITV on Monday night (October 31). And allies have now said he would use his appearance to promote his work on dyslexia.
The West Suffolk MP was forced to quit as health secretary after breaking coronavirus lockdown rules by conducting an affair in his ministerial office. He risks being punished at Westminster for going on the ITV show – when Tory colleague Nadine Dorries went to the Australian jungle in 2012 she had the whip suspended.
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Chief whip Simon Hart said in a statement: "Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect."
Mr Hancock has seized an "incredible opportunity" to appear on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, because he “doesn’t expect to serve in Government again”, according to a political ally of the former health secretary. They suggest he first turned down the opportunity to appear on I’m A Celebrity because of the "instability" the Government was facing at the time.
However, he now believes the administration is "stable" and views his stint on the show as an “amazing opportunity” to talk about issues he really cares about, they said. The political ally also said the show’s producers have agreed with Mr Hancock, the MP for West Suffolk, that his constituents can communicate with him on "urgent" matters while he is in the jungle.
"I’m A Celeb is the most watched show on TV," they said. "Matt doesn’t expect to serve in Government again, so it’s an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the 12 million Brits who tune in every single night Matt has told the whips in Parliament and he will use his time in the jungle to promote his dyslexia campaign.
"Matt has an excellent team working with him in West Suffolk, but producers have agreed that he can communicate with them if there’s an urgent constituency matter."
The Manchester Evening News has contacted ITV for comment.
I'm A Celeb will be premiering on Sunday, November 6, at 9pm, with a 105-minute special. The start date has been moved and is slightly earlier than usual to avoid a clash with the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off in Qatar on Sunday, November 20.
Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver, reality TV star Olivia Attwood, radio DJ Chris Moyles, rugby star and royal Mike Tindall, and Loose Women star Charlene White are just some of those who have headed to Australia as the ITV reality show returns to its spiritual home after two years of being filmed in the UK.
Making up this year's batch of campmates are Boy George, Hollyoaks’ Owen Warner, TV presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas, former footballer Jill Scott and comedian Babatunde Aleshe.
But while the ten named celebrities will go into I'm A Celeb this Sunday when the new series starts, Matt, 44, is reportedly set to be one of two latecomers who'll go into the camp. The other is comedian Seann Walsh, 36, who was included in the rumoured line-up as the stars landed at Brisbane Airport last week.
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