Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock was the wildcard that has shocked the nation ahead of the hit ITV show starting next week.
But the politician’s upcoming reality telly stint has been met with intense backlash after it was announced he will be the 12 th celebrity heading into the jungle this year.
Loose Women star Denise Welch has joined a chorus of dismayed Brits who have expressed their horror over the MP’s upcoming TV appearance.
The ITV panellist took to Twitter to brand the casting “disgusting” after it was reported that a “TV insider” had called the MP’s signing “sensational” because producers “love a star with a story to tell”.
Denise’s fury comes as friends of the MP for West Suffolk’s estranged wife Martha, who he split with after he was caught breaking his own Covid lockdown rules by having an affair with long-time aide Gina Coladangelo, were left stunned at Hancock’s signing.
A friend of Martha has described the MP – who has been suspended by the Conservative Party since the announcement – with searing condemnation, branding the father-of-three a “total halfwit who's making some unwise career moves”.
The pal told the Mail Online of their disapproval over his latest bid for the spotlight, while a former minister predicted he’d be picked to do the bucktucker trials “every day”.
The Tory told the publication: “I have sympathy for the poor kangaroo,” referring to the challenge where celebs eat kangaroo testicles for stars.
The politician told the site: “Is Matt Hancock technically a celebrity? I think he's probably in a slightly lower league than Mike Tindall. If he's eliminated in the first round he'll be appalled. He's going to be the hate figure, every single day he will be doing a challenge.”
News of Hancock’s reality telly stint has not gone down well with Number 10, with Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson slamming the MP who he believes should be “working hard or constituents” at a “challenging time for the country”.
The new Prime Minister is “unlikely” to watch his colleague’s antics, the spokesperson added.
The former Health Secretary is reported to have seen the move as "an incredible opportunity to connect with younger generations", but his fellow Tories haven't quite seen it like that.
The Conservative Party suspended the whip after it emerged the self-promoting former Health Secretary - who has a book due out - will be flying to Australia for the ITV hit show.
Days after being snubbed for a Cabinet comeback by Rishi Sunak, the MP is set to join Boy George, Chris Moyles and Olivia Attwood after signing up to the show at the last minute.
