‘We’ve had stability for all of five minutes’: I’m A Celeb stars blast Matt Hancock for joining show

I’m A Celebrity stars have blasted Matt Hancock for entering the jungle as he insists that ‘Rishi’s great, he’ll be fine’ and ‘stability’ has been restored in politics.

Campmate Charlene White told the former health secretary: ‘We’ve had stability for all of five minutes Matt’, after he made the claim on the ITV show. 

Mr Hancock, 44, admitted that he understood why people might be ‘angry’ at his decision to join the reality TV show, having come under fire for his decision to join the stars in the Australian jungle.  

Rishi Sunak was among those to join the criticism of Mr Hancock, who had the Conservative Party whip removed following the announcement that he would be participating.

The Prime Minister said he was ‘very disappointed’ in the MP’s decision.

His move was widely criticised across the political spectrum, coming at a time of political turbulence following the resignation of Liz Truss as prime minister and the re-appointment of a cabinet under new premier Mr Sunak.

Matt Hancock, 44, admitted that he understood why people might be ‘angry’ at his decision to join the reality TV show

I’m A Celebrity stars have blasted Mr Hancock (pictured) for entering the jungle as he insists that ‘Rishi’s great, he’ll be fine’ and ‘stability’ has been restored in politics

Since Mr Hancock signed up to star in the reality TV show, Mr Sunak (pictured) has seen cabinet secretary Gavin Williams resign following bullying allegations

Ms White took the opportunity to grill Mr Hancock and asked him: ‘So why did you do it?’

Since Mr Hancock signed up to star in the reality TV show, Mr Sunak has seen cabinet secretary Gavin Williams resign following a slew of bullying allegations.

Home secretary Suella Braveman has faced questions over her management of Kent-based migrant processing centre Manston, and Mr Sunak has been embroiled in rows over reappointing her to the role following a data breach via her personal emails.

During Wednesday’s show, presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly poked fun at the the West Suffolk MP and wider goings on in UK politics.

At one point Dec said: ‘Now, just 18 months ago, Matt Hancock was a member of of the cabinet. Creating policy, liaising with the Prime Minister, even running his own ministerial department.’

The other campmates were gobsmacked at the MP’s entrance on the show and were not shy about making their opinions known

Welcome: The campmates greeted Matt but soon made their opinions known when he was out of earshot

Mr Hancock and Mr Walsh after the trial on Wednesday night’s I’m A Celebrity

The pair completed a Bush Tucker Trial on their first day in the jungle

Mr Hancock and Mr Walsh completing their first trial in the jungle on Wednesday night 

To which Ant added: ‘Now he’s sitting on a log, next to a giant toy mole with a flashing red nose, having just rinsed a load of cockroaches out of his bum crack.’

Dec said: ‘A week really is a long time in politics isn’t it?’

As he arrived, stars of the jungle failed to hide their emotions.

Chris Moyles quipped that he had to take a second look, while Mike Tindall branded every word out of Mr Hancock’s mouth as ‘bull****’ and Boy George even threatened to leave over his new campmates appearance.

The celebrities didn’t hesitate to quiz Mr Hancock on his reasons for coming to the jungle, with him saying he had something to prove and wanted to show politicians were ‘human’.

Babatúndé Aléshé admitted he was struggling with Mr Hancock’s arrival and explained that it was hard to ‘put his views aside, he said: ‘I’m not saying certain people can’t come into camp…’

Later speaking to Owen Warner, he added: It’s hard to kind of like push your views aside, it really is, because of the many people whose lives have been affected.

‘But, at the same time, we’ve got to be welcoming and we’ve got to treat people as humans obviously.’

Sue Cleaver said to Boy George and Mike Tindall about Mr Hancock: ‘He sticks out like a sore thumb.’

Boy George said: ‘I think he’s super nervous though.’

Ms Cleaver said: ‘He must be very nervous…’

Boy George added: ‘I could hear it in his voice.’

In a conversation with fellow campmate Charlene White, the MP for West Suffolk told the journalist and TV presenter he took the decision to join the show because there is now ‘stability’ in UK politics.

He also praised Mr Sunak, calling him ‘great’.

Mr Hancock told Ms White: ‘If I can use this to sort of peel myself back a bit and just be me, it’s better.’

Mr Hancock said: ‘I genuinely think that because we’ve now got sort of stability that is…’

Mr Hancock on his ‘secret mission’ during Wednesday night’s programme

Undercover moles: They were rewarded with a cherry bakewell each and a flask of tea, before being told their challenge would continue

Mr Hancock washes himself clean after the Bush Tucker Trial on Wednesday night

Ant and Dec watch on as Mr Hancock completes the Beastly Burrows Bush Tucker Trial

Hilarious: Seann Walsh couldn’t contain his laughter on Wednesday nights episode of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! as he realised his campmate is Matt Hancock

Hysterics: Laughing, he said: ‘Matt Han…. [laughs]…. I can’t… Matt Han… [laughs]’

Funny: The comedian, 36, entered the camp alongside the ex-Health Secretary, 42, who hilariously slipped on the bridge on arrival

Elsewhere in the episode, Mr Hancock and Seann Walsh completed their first trial for camp, earning six out of 11 stars

Mr Hancock during the Beastly Burrows Bush Tucker Trial on Wednesday evening 

Mr Hancock covers in bugs during the Beastly Burrows Bush Tucker Trial

She replied: ‘But I can imagine it would not have gone down well at all at home? You have to expect that because Parliament is still sitting, we’re not in recess, you know…?’

He told her: ‘I genuinely think that because we’ve now got sort of stability, that is…’

Ms White said: ‘We’ve had stability for all of five minutes Matt.’

Mr Hancock replied: ‘Rishi’s great, he’ll be fine.’

Asked why he joined the show, Mr Hancock said: ‘Because there’s, honest truth, is because there’s so few ways in which politicians can show that we’re human beings, so I just thought it would be good to do that. I’ve got a sense of adventure.’

Ms White asked: ‘So you kind of want people to see you for you?’

M Hancock admitted: ‘I hope so.’

Ms White said in Telegraph: ‘Matt has a tough hill to climb, but he’s put himself on that hill and for me as a journalist, I have to ask him why?’

Asked by Ms White if he could understand if people were not happy about his appearance, he said: ‘I understand that but I also… of course I get that, right. But I also just think that sometimes you’ve got to do things differently.’

Ms White said: ‘I’m not sure going on I’m A Celebrity is the way to do it but you’re doing you and it’s a decision you’ve made and honestly it will be fascinating just to see.’

And unconvinced Ms White in the Bush Telegraph said: ‘Politicians do tend to use that line, ‘I feel as though the public need to know the real me’. I’m not necessarily sure a reality TV show is the way to do that.’

After their chat, Boy George and Chris Moyles asked Ms White how it went.

Ms White replied: ‘Oh, the same reasons politicians give every time they do these kinds of shows… ‘you need to know who we are behind the political mask’ kind of thing.’

Mr Moyles said: ‘He’s taken a few weeks off his job.’

Ms White said: ‘I asked that. ‘The government’s in a good place’. I was like, Rishi’s only been in five minutes, so how can you know that?’

Mr Moyles continued: ‘What about his constituents?’

Campmate Boy George has said he would have left I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! after Matt Hancock’s arrival if his mother had died during the pandemic. 

During a conversation with TV presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas, the Culture Club frontman, whose real name is George Alan O’Dowd, said: ‘You know, beginning of the pandemic my mum was in hospital.

‘I wasn’t allowed to see her. I thought she was going to die. I was tweeting Greenwich hospital going, ‘Please look after my mum’.

‘I used my name, I was like, ‘Please look after my mum’. And they did, she was fine.

‘I feel like, I don’t want to be sitting here like I’m having fun with him. It’s difficult for me because, you know, had something happened, if my mum had gone, I wouldn’t be here now. I would have gone when he walked in.’

Boy George, 61, continued in the Bush Telegraph, adding: ‘If I had lost my mum, I would go.

‘And I feel a little bit selfish, you know, just kind of, everyone’s so nice to him and I was like, Jesus, what we gonna do?

Campmate Boy George (pictured) has said he would have left I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! after Matt Hancock’s arrival if his mother had died during the pandemic

Upset: Boy George in particular found himself conflicted and worrying whether he wanted to remain in the jungle

‘I don’t want to spoil this experience for myself. I’m not good at hiding what I feel. Especially when it’s something so strong.’

Mr Hancock entered the jungle as a late arrival alongside comedian Seann Walsh, with the pair undertaking the Beastly Burrows Bushtucker Trial shortly after their entrance.

The pair entered a secret camp dubbed Mole HQ, where they discovered they would be undercover moles in the main camp and were given a series of secret missions to undertake to earn the campmates their luxury items. 

During an early conversation with comedian and fellow campmate Seann Walsh about his Blink-182 tattoo, Mr Hancock admitted that he did ‘not really’ know who the US rock band — whose hit All The Small Things reached number two on the UK charts in 2000 — were.

Politics-watchers joined with regular viewers to see the arrival of Mr Hancock, while some political opponents hit out once again at the MP for his decision to enter the jungle.

The Liberal Democrats’ Twitter account said: ‘Never mind #ImACeleb and trying to win meals for a jungle camp, Matt Hancock should be in the UK, in his office, and delivering for constituents wondering where their next meal will come from.

‘You’re not a celebrity. You’re an MP with a job to do.’

‘Cringing’: ITV viewers were left less than impressed as Matt Hancock sang Ed Sheeran on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! on Wednesday evening’s show