Leeds reacts to Matt Hancock swapping Westminster for I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!

This year’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! lineup includes Mike Tindall, Chris Moyles, Boy George and now Matt Hancock.

On November 1 the Conservative MP was announced to be on the reality TV show, which sees celebrities face gruesome challenges in Australia.

Matt Hancock has been suspended from being a Tory MP due to his television debut and the people of West Suffolk will be without an MP for the foreseeable future.I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! usually runs for around three weeks, meaning that Hancock would not have been able to vote on any issues that are raised in Parliament during that time.

The decision has received considerable pushback but Matt has defended his decision.

He said: “I haven’t lost my marbles or had one too many pina coladas.

“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.”

But many are against the MP joining the show; in fact there is a petition which has been signed almost 20,000 times to remove him from the show before it has even begun.

The group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK launched the petition and said: “Families were ripped apart by Matt Hancock’s actions, and turning on the TV to see him being paraded around as a joke is sickening.

“Matt Hancock isn’t a ‘celebrity’, he’s the health secretary who oversaw the UK having one of the highest death tolls in the world from Covid-19 whilst breaking his own lockdown rules.”

The new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also unhappy with Hancock’s decision, the PM’s spokesperson said that MP’s should be “working hard for their constituents” and it was “unlikely” that the prime minister would be tuning in to watch the show.

The Yorkshire Evening Post asked their readers what they thought of the MP entering the jungle.

Paul Eyre said: “As a sitting MP shouldn’t he be in Parliament doing what he’s paid for?”

Colin Senior commented: “His salary should be deducted for the length of time he’s in there.

“He’s paid to be an MP for his constituents.”

Steve Terrington said: “Skiving off work is what he’s actually doing.”

Chris Kelly wrote: “This is everything wrong with modern politics summed up.

“They are more concerned with status than actually doing what is best for this country.”

Lisa Hoyle said: “Matt Hancock has no shame!”

Duncan Morris joked: “With a bit of luck he won’t come back…”

Some people thought up what challenges they would like to see Matt Hancock do on the show.

Elizabeth Hutchinson said: “I hope there’s lots and lots of horrible eating challenges for him.”

Joan Phillips wrote: “I haven’t watched it in years but I do hope the British public vote for him to do all the Bushtucker Trials.”

I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! will return to screens on Sunday, November 6 at 9pm.