The show "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!"

on ITV has a special flavor since Matt Hancock, 44, still an MP, joined the cast.

The idea is simple: celebrities gathered in a particularly hostile area in Australia must complete challenges and avoid being eliminated by viewers during their stay.

In one week, the former Minister of Health, who was in government when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, had to eat kangaroo testicles, had his drool sprayed on him, had to face spiders and cockroaches, faced an impressive snake in attack position, got stung by a scorpion, etc...

The public, who vote, did not spare him.

Neither did his Westminster colleagues: "There are quite a few people (...) in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, who have downloaded a certain application to be able to vote", revealed the minister responsible for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris.

"I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Matt Hancock was suspended from the Conservative Party because of his appearance on this show.

It is difficult to escape these adventures, which make the front page of the press and even appear on television news, in an astonishing mixture of genres since Matt Hancock, from his jungle, indulges in comments on British politics.

- Very well paid -

But why did the hon. member do this to himself?

For Mark Garnett, lecturer in politics at Lancaster University, Matt Hancock had "not much left to lose. (...) His career in politics was probably over anyway".

Having become a familiar face to the British through press conferences during the pandemic, Matt Hancock was forced to resign after a political, sentimental and health scandal.

The tabloid The Sun published video surveillance images at the end of June 2021 showing the minister, married and father of three children, passionately kissing his adviser, at a time when even simple hugs were prohibited.

"Many believe his poor job as health minister caused deaths that were preventable," says Mark Garnett.

On Tuesday, a plane with a message intended for Matt Hancock flew over the "jungle" for two hours: "Covid mourners say: + Get out of here +".

Former British Health Secretary Matt Hancock outside the House of Commons in London on September 7, 2021 - PRU/AFP/Archives

Matt Hancock has put forward several reasons for his participation in the show, which brings together millions of viewers every night.

He would have liked to use this showcase to talk about his dyslexia campaign.

He would also have liked to "go where the people are, not in the ivory towers of Westminster".

"There are so few ways for politicians to show that they are human beings," he said on the show.

Matt Hancock would receive, according to the press, 400,000 pounds (456,300 euros) to participate in "I am a celebrity ...", a show that lasts barely a month.

"If he won the show, (...) he could have a career in television when he no longer has any chance of a career in politics", explains Mark Garnett.

On November 1, Conservative Party Disciplinary Officer Simon Hart announced that the matter was "serious enough to order his suspension with immediate effect".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made no secret of his displeasure.

"I think politics, in its best form, can and should be noble," he replied to journalists who questioned him on the subject.

"It is incumbent on all members of parliament to do the things that earn people's respect."

Opposition members have called for his parliamentary allowance to be suspended.

Matt Hancock is not the first politician to appear on this show.

Nadine Dorries was also suspended from the Conservative Party in 2012 for agreeing to be there.

This did not prevent her from becoming Minister of Health in the government of Boris Johnson in 2021.

© 2022 AFP