Matt Hancock to enter I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! jungle following Olivia Attwood’s shock departure
Matt Hancock is set to enter the I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! jungle later on Tuesday – following Olivia Attwood’s shock departure.
The former health secretary, 44, will join the rest of the contestants in camp after spending a period of time in isolation, with his entrance teased by co-hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly during tonight’s show.
Mr Hancock’s decision to star in the show has meant he has had the Tory whip removed – effectively expelling him from the Conservative parliamentary party and forcing him to sit as an independent until it is reinstated.
The MP, who has been widely mocked on social media and by some colleagues for the move, said producers had asked him twice over the summer if he would appear, but he turned them down.
Mr Hancock has been given access to his phone and laptop during his isolation so he can continue working and stay connected with constituents.
Comedian Seann Walsh, who has been widely reported as the second surprise entry, is also said to be joining the campsite shortly.
It comes after former Love Island contestant Olivia Attwood was forced to quit the ITV show on “medical grounds” after just one day in the jungle.
The star, who rose to fame appearing on Love Island in 2017, had been “absolutely loving every second of the show” before medics told her it was no longer safe for her to be taking part, according to a post on her official Instagram account.
The post said “heartbroken is an understatement” after she started her journey home to the UK, and promised fans would hear “the truth” from the star in due course.
Confirming her departure, an ITV spokesperson told Sky News: “As a precautionary measure Olivia needed to leave the jungle to undergo some medical checks.
“Unfortunately the medical team has advised it is not safe for Olivia to return to camp as there needs to be a further investigation.
“She has been absolutely brilliant and she’ll be very much missed on the show.”
Her early exit from the jungle means she has had one of the shortest-ever stints in the jungle, closely matched by that of former EastEnders actress Elaine Lordan, who dropped out after fainting twice within 24 hours of her arrival in 2005.
Other celebrities taking part in this year’s series are: Culture Club star Boy George, TV presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas, Lioness Jill Scott, Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver, Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner, rugby star Mike Tindall, comedian Babatunde Aleshe and journalist and broadcaster Charlene White.
I’m A Celeb returned to the Australian jungle for the first time since 2019 after the show was shot at Gwrych Castle in North Wales for the past two years due to COVID travel restrictions.
McPartlin and Donnelly confirmed on Sunday there will be two extra arrivals to the camp shortly, including Hancock, joking they will be “rolling out the welcome mat for them soon”.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.