Matt Hancock loses Tory whip after agreeing to appear on I’m a Celebrity



Former curate has Tory whip suspended due to the fact that it emerges that helium is to look connected information TV show

Matt Hancock volition beryllium getting into the jungle for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Photograph: Hollie Adams/Getty ImagesMatt Hancock whitethorn beryllium entering the jungle for I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Photograph: Hollie Adams/Getty ImagesJessica Elgot and Nadia KhomamiTue 1 Nov 2022 07.Thirteen EDTLast modified connected Tue 1 Nov 2022 07.49 EDT

The erstwhile cupboard curate Matt Hancock has had the Tory whip suspended aft it emerged helium was entering the jungle for I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!

The baby-kisser whitethorn beryllium the twelfth contestant to participate the display, which functions celebrated faces acting successful gruelling responsibilities specified arsenic being smothered successful bugs oregon consuming a kangaroo’s penis.

But the erstwhile fittingness caput confronted a backlash from Tory whips and his constituency day solemnisation implicit his enactment to instrumentality portion and could present beryllium arsenic an impartial MP. The show overlaps with clip whilst the Commons is sitting.

The Conservative main whip Simon Hart said: “Following a speech with Matt Hancock, I adjacent person taken into information the concern and hold with this is simply a trust utmost capable to warrant suspension of the whip with instantly effect.”

Hancock go additionally criticised by utilizing the lawman seat of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, Andy Drummond, whosaid: “I’m looking guardant to him consuming a kangaroo’s penis. You tin punctuation maine that.”

Earlier this week, Hancock pulled retired of the going for walks to seat the Treasury prime committee and introduced a caller book, Pandemic Diaries, connected his reports arsenic fittingness caput passim the Covid crisis.

Hancock resed arsenic wellness caput last yr aft CCTV photos became leaked displaying him kissing his closest aide, Gina Coladangelo, successful his ministerial office, successful breach of his idiosyncratic Covid guidelines connected distancing.

One proviso adjacent to Hancock stated the show’s producers had agreed that his parts ought to pass with him connected urgent subjects adjacent arsenic he's wrong the jungle.

They stated Hancock did not expect to service wrong the cupboard again. “I’m A Celeb is the maximum watched amusement connected TV. Matt doesn’t number connected to service successful authorities erstwhile more, truthful it’s an archetypal complaint accidental for him to prosecute with the 12 cardinal Brits who opus successful each azygous night,” they said.

The root stated determination were “many approaches to bash the task of being an MP … Whether he’s successful campy for someday oregon 3 weeks, determination are lone a fewer locations humans tin beryllium susceptible of spot a baby-kisser arsenic they without a uncertainty are.”

Hancock reportedly grew to go down a proposition to look connected the show to commencement with nevertheless reconsidered aft the decease of Liz Truss’s premiership, with the authorities restored to a semblance of stability. Hancock backed Rishi Sunak wrong the absorption contention nevertheless became nary longer requested to instrumentality to the cupboard.

“When helium go archetypal approached to instrumentality part, whilst helium was flattered and intelligibly curious, it didn’t instrumentality him excessively agelong to crook the accidental down due to the fact that of the instability authorities changed into facing astatine the time,” the state of Hancock stated.

“Now adjacent though, the authorities is stable. Rishi Sunak has made a exquisite commencement and the full of the Conservative solemnisation is agreed down him. Rishi has a immense majority, truthful helium tin get his docket thru parliament.”

They said Hancock had talked to the whips “inside the identical mode immoderate MP would erstwhile happening a overseas spell to, which occurs each of the time.”

The root said politicians “should sojourn successful which the radical are – specifically folks who are politically disengaged … Matt’s of the presumption that we person to clasp fashionable lifestyle. Rather than looking down connected information TV, we ought to spot it for what it's miles – a almighty instrumentality to get our connection heard by mode of much youthful generations.”

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Hancock volition marque a donation to St Nicholas hospice successful Suffolk, though not of the full fee, to beryllium capable to beryllium disclosed wrong the s successful of contributors’ pursuits.

Ten celebrities volition beryllium portion of the amusement this Sunday whilst the quality bid starts offevolved, and Hancock whitethorn beryllium 1 of the overdue “bombshell” arrivals successful conjunction with the comic Seann Walsh, the Sun pronounced.

The West Suffolk MP is the contiguous time find from the governmental sphere to look connected the amusement aft the likes of Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and Lembit Opik.

Dorries changed into suspended via the Conservative party successful 2012 aft it emerged she turned into to instrumentality time disconnected from parliament to beryllium a contestant connected the show. At the time, she attempted to warrant the determination via saying the programme would enactment arsenic a level to attain the wide nationalist and assistance attraction astir important troubles.

She was aboriginal pressured to apologise to the Commons for failing to assertion her complaint for performing astatine the show, aft being censured by mode of the parliamentary requirements watchdog.

But Dorries did instrumentality to frontline politics, serving arsenic manner caput successful Boris Johnson’s government.

Other celebrities connected the lineup this twelvemonth encompass the vocalist Boy George, rugby personage Mike Tindall, England shot subordinate Jill Scott, Loose Women’s Charlene White, TV presenter Scarlette Douglas, comic Babatunde Aléshé, and vigor big Chris Moyles.

There volition besides beryllium immoderate of cleaning soap and world TV stars, which see Coronation Street histrion Su Cleaver, Hollyoaks’ Owen Warner and Love Island’s Olivia Atwood.