Matt Hancock: Covid campaigners fly banner over I'm A Celebrity jungle

The families of immoderate of those who died during the Covid-19 pandemic accidental they person flown a connection implicit the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! camp, demanding the removal of Matt Hancock.

Campaign groups 28 Degrees and Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice posted photos of a banner, which read: "Covid bereaved accidental get retired of here!"

Hancock, who was wellness caput astatine the tallness of the pandemic, is successful the TV show's jungle campy successful Australia.

Broadcaster ITV has not commented.

In a statement, Lobby Akinnola from Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, who mislaid his begetter to the disease, said: "Matt Hancock isn't a 'celebrity', he's the erstwhile wellness caput who oversaw the UK having 1 of the highest decease tolls successful the satellite from Covid-19 whilst breaking his ain lockdown rules."

Hancock was forced to resign arsenic wellness caput successful June 2021 aft breaking the government's societal distancing rules by kissing a colleague.

Matthew McGregor, main enforcement of 38 Degrees, said: "No-one has forgotten however Matt Hancock conducted himself during the Covid-19 pandemic: not the wide public, not his campmates, and surely not those who mislaid loved ones.

"Our connection emblazoned crossed the skies makes crystal wide to Matt Hancock: you should beryllium representing the radical of West Suffolk and giving Covid Bereaved Families the answers they deserve, alternatively than playing games for dingo dollars, integrative stars and a [reported] £400,000 paycheck."

The airborne protestation came aft much than 44,000 radical signed a petition calling for ITV to reverse its determination to see the serving West Suffolk MP connected the programme.

The contented of Hancock's resignation came up successful the jungle erstwhile chap contestant Scarlette Douglas described the MP's behaviour arsenic "a slap successful the face" by idiosyncratic who had acceptable the rules and had past breached them.

Responding connected the show, helium said determination was "no excuse" for the actions that led to his resignation. Hancock added: "Look, I cognize however radical felt. That's wherefore I resigned, right?"

He aboriginal became affectional arsenic helium told campmates that what helium is "really looking for is simply a spot of forgiveness".

Hancock has been suspended arsenic a Conservative MP, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said connected Tuesday that the erstwhile minister's aboriginal successful Parliament would beryllium decided by voters astatine the adjacent election.

"Ultimately, the question is for his constituents astatine an predetermination but I deliberation it was close that the Chief Whip removed the blimpish whip from Matt Hancock. It's a determination I enactment and I was precise disappointed that helium decided to spell connected the show," the premier curate said.

Before helium entered the jungle, Hancock said helium was joining the amusement to rise dyslexia awareness, and helium has told his chap campmates helium wants to amusement different broadside to politicians.