Matt Hancock stunned his I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here campmates last night when he joined the jungle alongside Seann Walsh. Before heading Down Under, the West Suffolk MP assured the public that he "hadn't lost his marbles" and instead was entering the ITV reality show to shine a light on politics and his dyslexia - which he was diagnosed with at 18.
However, when newsreader Charlene White quizzed Mr Hancock on his justifications during Wednesday's episode, he failed to mention his ambitions for neurodivergence awareness. He responded: "There are so few ways in which politicians can show that we are human beings... if I can use this to sort of peel myself back a bit and just be me, it's better."
But perhaps that will come at a later date. When he explained his decision in an article in The Sun, he emphasised that being on millions of televisions across the country on a popular show could offer up a different way of communicating with the electorate, adding: "As a backbench MP, I have the freedom and time to champion causes I believe in and care about - including dyslexia.
"I want to raise the profile of my dyslexia campaign to help every dyslexic child unleash their potential - even if it means taking an unusual route to get there... via the Australian jungle!
"I want to use this incredible platform to raise awareness, so no child leaves primary school not knowing if they have dyslexia."
So how much Government lobbying has Mr Hancock done for dyslexia? Here we take a look...
Eight contributions
"While most people will know me for being the Health Secretary during the pandemic, what you probably won't know is that I am dyslexic, and I've been campaigning for better identification and support for dyslexic children," Mr Hancock claimed in The Sun.
There is no doubt that during his time as Health Sec, he had more pressing matters to deal with as the coronavirus pandemic unfolded in early 2020.
However he was appointed to the position on July 9, 2018, and has been MP for West Suffolk since 2010.
Looking at Hansard - the official report of all Parliamentary debates - Mr Hancock has mentioned dyslexia eight times in spoken contributions over the course of his political career.
It took him three years for his first mention in 2013 when speaking about adult numeracy and literacy.
There has then been an eight-year gap as Mr Hancock did not raise the condition again until November 2021, according to the report.
But it appears that since then, he has been more persistent. And he has even put forward his own Private Members' bill on the matter - which are public bills introduced by MPs and Lords who are not government ministers.
As with other public bills, their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population. While a minority of Private Members' bills become law, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly.
Mr Hancock's first 2021 mention was during a debate on helping offenders into employment, where he raised that more than half of offenders may be dyslexic.
He asked: "What is he [Dominc Raab] doing to make sure that screening is available to ensure that prisoners can get the right training, especially on literacy if they are dyslexic, to help them into more successful work afterwards?"
The following month, Mr Hancock mentioned dyslexia when addressing the then Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi.
And then when the Government published their prisons strategy White Paper in a bid to transform the prison regime to cut crime on December 7, 2021, Mr Hancock asked for further reassurance that data from dyslexia screening followed prisoners if they were to be moved between prisons.
On the same day, he presented a heartfelt speech to the Commons to bring in a Bill to require screening for dyslexia in primary schools and to make provision for the teaching and assessment of children found by that screening to have dyslexia.
It is this Bill - the Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill - which receives its second reading in Parliament just days after I'm A Celeb will come to a close, Mr Hancock says.
This explains why he claims he has joined I'm A Celeb to help the public better understand the common condition, that affects around one in 10 people.
He mentions the support required for dyslexic SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) children in January 2022 and by May, the MP asked: "What steps is his Department is taking to help improve (a) early identification of, (b) teacher training in and (c) support for pupils with dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions in primary schools?".
His final contribution was in July when he pleaded with ministers to back his private Member's Bill - adding: "So that we can identify children's and young people's needs and give them the help and support, and the knowledge that they have that support, to enable them to go on to thrive, flourish and make the most of their lives?"
So we could start to see him open up about his dyslexia as the episodes roll on in a bid for support. But not everyone is convinced he has good intentions during his reality stint, describing it instead as a potential ploy.
A group within the disabled community has blasted the MP for using his disability as a redemption arc after 'neglecting' the disabled during the coronavirus crisis.
Peter Kyle, shadow secretary for Northern Ireland, who is also dyslexic told The Mirror: "He is going on the show as a quest to rehabilitate his image. This is not a quest to educate the public on living with dyslexia.
"It's hurtful because it sets us back. I think Matt Hancock has set the cause of recognising the positive attributes that can come with dyslexia back a decade."
And journalist Rachel Charlton-Dailey also wrote an opinion piece in The Mirror critiquing Mr Hancock's efforts, which bluntly asks: "Where was your concern for neurodivergent people when you forced us all to drastically change our routines despite your constant unclear messaging which left us to fear for our own lives whilst you willfully broke your own rules Matt?"
I'm A Celeb returns to ITV tonight at 9pm.
