Matt Hancock’s time on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins has both annoyed and amused countless Brits ever since it first aired, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a single viewer who didn’t enjoy seeing the disgraced MP being called a “weasel-faced c***” by one of their interrogators.
The former Health Secretary and adviser to ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson during the nightmare year that was 2020 (remember that) already caused a stir by taking part in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! — for which received a healthy amount of grilling — but that was just the start of his reality career.
After the news broke that his appearance on the latest season of Channel 4’s hit military boot camp show was actually filmed before his I’m a Celeb series late last year, millions were collectively rubbing their hands waiting to see what kind of physical and mental toll he was put through.
That being said, even with the clips that had already come out, there can’t have been many who were expecting this. Without further ado, please enjoy a shirtless Matt Hancock being called a “weasel-faced c***” and a barrage of other expletive insults on the celebrity version of SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Matt Hancock being called a ‘weasel-faced c***’ has to be up there with one of the best TV moments of the past decade.
Tell us how you really feel — to be fair, we have a feeling there are more than a few who agree with you…
ADVERTISEMENT
The woman calling him virtually every name under the sun is a series regular simply known as Debs: an interrogator who has previously appeared on the show’s celebrity spin-off show and is almost certain to pop up even more frequently after this.
In fact, she’s been hailed as somewhat of a hero online, with people remarking everything from, “Thank you, madam, you speak for a nation” and “couldn’t have put it better myself, to comments like: “Give Debs a damehood, what an absolute queen”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Unsurprisingly, the reaction to the latest episode which aired on Sunday night, 29 October has been one of both shock and unapologetic amusement all over social media, as it’s safe to say Hancock is still a deeply disliked figure across the UK for his time in office and multiple scandals during lockdown.
It wasn’t the first time the Tory MP was interrogated by members of the cast and ex-army members, having also been grilled over his handling of the pandemic. However, Deb’s extensive abuse didn’t stop there, not even close — the so-called ‘Liz Truss lookalike’ dished out plenty of other memorable lines.
For example: “You’re a man that likes to put it about a bit [referencing his affair with Gina Coladangelo]”, “You’re not a good-looking man, are you? Pubes on your chest, moobs…”; “You sarcastic f***er… Mr f***ing know-it-all” and “Why do you just keep raising your eyebrows at me, k***head?”, to quote just a few.
ADVERTISEMENT
With one more episode of this current series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins still to come, we dare say there’ll be quite an increase in viewing figures after this viral and unforgettable moment in British TV history. You can catch up on all the previous episodes HERE.
You can watch Matt Hancock’s interrogation scene in full down below:
The now legendary clip is taken from season five, episode six of Celebrity: SAS Who Dares Wins. And the BAFTA goes too…
Sharing an official update online, the RFL wrote: “Wane, who has led England since February 2020, has taken time to reflect on the programme and believes the timing is right for new leadership to guide the team into the next phase, including the upcoming World Cup.
“During his tenure, Wane oversaw memorable series victories over Tonga in 2023 and a star-studded Samoa a year later, as well as a semi-final in the World Cup. He finishes with 14 wins from 19 matches.”
Crediting him as one of “a very small elite number of coaches to have won the full suite of domestic club honours and achieved World Club Championship success”, hailing his experience and longevity both as a player and as a coach.
As for Wane himself, he said: “It has been the honour of my life to coach England Rugby League over the last six years, but after careful reflection, I believe the time is right to step aside and allow the programme to move forward into its next chapter.
England are on the lookout for a new coach heading into the World Cup after being swept in the Ashes.
Coach Shaun Wane has reportedly resigned from the post after a disappointing 3-0 whitewash against Australia last year.
The 61-year-old ex-pro goes on to add, “The privilege of leading my country in a World Cup, an Ashes Series on home soil and securing victories over Tonga and Samoa will live long in the memory.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the players, coaches and staff I’ve worked alongside during that time; their commitment and professionalism made those moments possible. I wish everyone involved with England Rugby League the best going forward and for the World Cup later this year.”
According to the latest reports online, St Helens boss Paul Rowley is now said to be the favourite to take over in the interim.
The 2026 Rugby League World Cup is still months away (scheduled to take place in October and November), but the governing body will want to get the new setup and coaching in place as soon as possible to prepare for the tournament.
Greater Manchester town named as one of country’s worst at fixing potholes
Emily Sergeant
A town in Greater Manchester has been named one of the worst in the country at managing roads and fixing potholes.
For the first time ever, drivers across England can now see how well their local highway authority is tackling potholes on their roads thanks to a new traffic light rating system published by the Government this weekend.
The new ratings grade local highway authorities as red, amber, or green.
The ratings – which have presented on a new interactive map – are based on current road condition and how effectively local authorities are spending the Government’s record £7.3 billion funding to fix potholes and investing in long-term measures to maintain roads.
The Government funding is meant to allow local authorities to repair potholes ‘effectively’ and move away from short-term repairs that work out to be more expensive – with these fixes meaning more money in drivers’ pockets, as the average repair bill from hitting potholes is said to be around £320.
We’ve launched a Red, Amber, Green rating system, so you can see how well your local highway authority (LHA) is fixing your local roads.
🟢 Green = best practice, long-term preventative plans 🟠 Amber = on the way, but room to improve 🔴 Red = support in place to raise… pic.twitter.com/gRwkEx5kdm
The condition of local roads, how much local authorities are spending on road repairs, and whether they are following best practice in maintaining highways are all key areas taken into account when deciding on an area’s rating.
Those that scored ‘green’, like Manchester, were able to demonstrate they are following best practice, while also maintaining good road conditions and investing significantly into improving local roads, and those that scored ‘amber’ – which the majority of Greater Manchester came under showed that there was room for improvement in individual areas.
However, one Greater Manchester town did not fare well at all, and ended up with an ‘red’ rating… and that town was Bolton.
The colour-coded map showing each local authority’s pothole rating / Credit: OS / Crown Copyright (via gov.uk)
Those local authorities that are rated ‘red’, like Bolton, are not yet meeting the expected standards in one or several areas measured, according to the Government, such as the current state of the roads, their plans for preventing potholes, or investment into maintaining their local roads more widely.
“For too long, drivers have paid the price because our roads were left to deteriorate,” commented Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“We’ve put our money where our mouth is, increasing the funding for local highway authorities with £7.3 billion to fix roads and given them the long-term certainty they have been asking for.
“Now it’s over to them to spend the money wisely, and for the first time, we are making sure the public can see how well councils are doing in delivering the improvements they want to see in their local area.”
Danny Jones -
31st October 2023 
