Matt Hancock won’t be the first politician to attempt to change public perception by trying their hand at reality TV, but with the mishandling of the pandemic still recent history (not to mention the breaking of his own lockdown rules) it’s fair to say that people are less than thrilled by it.
Alongside genuine slebs like Radio DJ Chris Moyles, TV personality Olivia Attwood and – finally - pop superstar Boy George, the serving MP for West Suffolk will join this year’s line-up of I’m A Celebrity for its return to the Australian Jungle.
The fact that Hancock is still – at least according to his Twitter – a working member of parliament has caused controversy in itself. Nadine Dorries was (and still is) MP for Mid Bedfordshire when her short-lived stint in the jungle saw her have the Tory party whip withdrawn for six months, and when George Galloway was one of the first politicians to make the jump to reality TV when he took part in Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, he was MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.
While the general consensus from most people is that Hancock should not have been invited onto the show, his constituents in West Suffolk are particularly unimpressed. One told the BBC, ‘We wouldn't even notice the difference here with him gone, he does nothing for us anyway.
‘But it's deeply disrespectful for an MP to go off whilst Parliament is sitting during the cost-of-living crisis and the impacts this will have on his constituents.’
Another said, ‘Honestly, I think him going on to I'm A Celebrity is a disgrace. For a start, he isn't a celebrity, he is supposedly a politician. He does a poor job representing his constituents. The only time he really shows up is if there is some form of media involved.
‘Right now there is a crisis in the area with the bus services being axed, and his priority is not to help his constituents but to go on to a TV show. He does not deserve to be our local MP.’
Every year there is a chorus of ‘who?’ and ‘never heard of them’ when the line-ups for so-called ‘celebrity’ reality shows are announced. What's more, while you’d be forgiven for not knowing the names or faces of some of the more obscure cast of Corrie, the line between festive celebrity fun and the responsibility of helping those you represent in parliament through what will certainly be the most difficult winter we’ve seen in years, should be clear cut. And while Hancock is off giving jovial press statements about his decision – writing in The Sun, ‘I haven't lost my marbles or had one too many pina coladas’ – he’s made no secret of the fact that he’s hoping the move will secure votes and win favour from his constituents.
The move appears to have backfired spectacularly, with even his own West Suffolk Conservative Association expressing ‘disappointment’, but that he should even be given the opportunity to redeem himself on a much-loved national stage so soon after being forced to resign from his role as health secretary has infuriated many. Sure, it may have been the photos of him snogging his married aide Gina Coladangelo, thus breaking his own social distancing rules while millions were forced apart from their own families, which finally lead to his resignation; but it was far from his only glaring misdemeanour during the pandemic.
National action group Covid Justice UK wrote in a now viral Twitter thread, ‘Matt Hancock isn’t a “celebrity”, he’s the former health secretary who oversaw the UK having one of the highest death-tolls in the UK from Covid-19 whilst breaking his own lockdown rules.
‘The fact that he is trying to cash in on his terrible legacy, rather than showing some humility or seeking to reflect on the appalling consequences of his time in Government says it all about the sort of person he is.’
Defending his ill-advised decision, Hancock said, ‘Rather than looking down on reality TV, we should see it for what it is — a powerful tool to get our message heard by younger generations. In fact, I think it's patronising to hear some say reality TV is beneath a politician.
‘It's as clear as day that politicians like me must go to where the people are — particularly those who are politically disengaged. We must wake up and embrace popular culture.’
The fee for appearing on this year’s series is rumoured to have broken records presumably has nothing to do with him going on the show. Nevertheless, it’s likely that crafting a fun-loving, down-for-anything happy-go-lucky top lad character à la his former boss Boris Johnson will actually endear him to impressionable young voters more impressed by his kangaroo bollock eating finesse than his ability to lead a country through a deadly pandemic, who’re unaware – or maybe uncaring – of the fact that his obvious disdain for the NHS saw a surge in staff relying on food banks and charity during his time in the role.
Like Dorries, Hancock has had his whip removed – meaning he’s effectively suspended from the Tory party – but it’s only a temporary (some might say performative) measure, and he will continue to receive a salary as an independent MP, reported to be £84,000 per year.