matt hancock confrontation© Photo: Rex

I'm a Celebrity's Matt Hancock confronted over COVID guidance breach in tense moment

The former Health Secretary's actions had angered his fellow campmates

Online News Writer & Diversity and Inclusion Lead
November 11, 2022

Matt Hancock's entry into the jungle has been one of the most controversial moments on this series of I'm a Celebrity, after the former Health Secretary resigned last year after a video of him kissing an assistant was leaked.

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Since his entry into the camp, his fellow campmates haven't been certain what to make to him, with Boy George confessing he would've walked off if he had lost his mother to COVID. On Friday night's edition, tensions ended up boiling over as Matt was confronted by some of his fellow campmates for the breach of guidance.

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The moment was started by DJ Chris Moyles who asked Matt if he had received a fine for the kiss, with Matt retorting: "I didn't break any laws. Guidance is different."

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The Conservative MP was then questioned by Loose Women star Charlene White and A Place in the Sun presenter Scarlette Douglas with the former saying Matt had been "socialising with someone outside his guidance" and Scarlette asking why he had broken his own guidance.

Matt replied: "Because it was a mistake, because I fell in love with somebody," but Scarlette wasn't impressed with his answer, and neither was Charlene who shared her own family tragedy.

"My aunt died from Covid in the first wave," she said. "So, we couldn't go to the hospital to go and visit her. I had to sit by myself in the church at her funeral. We couldn't hug each other because we were following guidance. And I get that you fell in love, I understand all of those things, but sorry for a lot of families like mine doesn't really cut it."

© Photo: Rex

Charlene confronted Matt over his actions during the pandemic

Conversation then moved onto how the pandemic was handled as a whole, to which Matt defended his actions to his fellow stars.

The former Health Secretary explained: "So PPE for instance, I know, of course I saw what happened to it, but that’s because we suddenly needed masses more PPE and so did everybody else in the world. And care homes… There were reasons for the decisions that were taken and ultimately those problems were caused by the virus, not the people who were trying to solve the problem."

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He did get some backing up from fellow campmates with Chris saying he enjoyed Matt doing the daily COVID briefings because he was "articulate and human".

Coronation Street star Sue Cleaver put an end to the conversation, and praised Matt for his performance in the Bushtucker trial, saying: "I think we've covered everything, we should stop. What I do appreciate is that you did eat a sheep's vagina for us. And life isn't black and white and we are all fallible."

© Photo: Rex

The moment ended in an unexpected hug

Matt got emotional over the moment, which ended with Charlene giving him a hug. She was surprised by her response, confessing in the Bush Telegraph: "Well, you could have blown me down with a feather, that was not what I was expecting at all. It is a very human reaction when you can see that someone is getting upset to give them a hug."

However, the drama might not be fully over as Chris later told Scarlette when Matt was away: "It was the last thing he said, 'I think I’m here for forgiveness'. Then, I wanted to go, 'Forgiveness for what Matt? What are you sorry for? Are you sorry for being caught? Are you sorry for having an affair? Are you sorry for making bad decisions? Are you sorry for lying? What? What?'

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"If you're going to be real, be real. I’m trying to be as real as I can and when I think he’s not being real it’s bugging me and I don't know why. We've all made mistakes and you put your hands up and you're honest. If you're at that point where you genuinely feel that bad, you go, I'm sorry and you take it, I'm sorry."

But in a moment of reconciliation, Scarlette replied: "We have to just take him at face value in here. Outside of here, probably not going to be friends with you, but in here we'll work together as a team."

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