In an incredible turn of events, the former health secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly been suspended as a Conservative MP after apparently agreeing to join the cast of I’m A Celebrity 2022.
Filed firmly under headlines we never thought we’d write.
After numerous reports of the official lineup for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! 2022 began trickling in last week, the BBC has confirmed that Hancock will “swap representing his constituents at Westminster for eating bugs in the jungle” and we, for one, cannot wait to see what that looks like.
Former chief whip Simon Hart said the decision to join the reality TV show while still serving as an MP “is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”
The deputy chairman of his constituency’s Conservative Association seems to be more excited by the prospect of him joining the reality show.
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Fair to say @MattHancock's local Conservative Association is unimpressed. Andy Drummond, deputy chairman (political) of West Suffolk Conservative Association, told @PA: "I’m looking forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. Quote me. You can quote me that.”
Meanwhile, others have been less impressed by the decision by ITV producers, with journalist Nadine Batchelor-Hunt noting that “it says something when Matt Hancock has the whip removed more quickly over going on I’m A Celebrity than Chris Pincher did” over his sexual misconduct.
Many others echoed similar sentiments:
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Once again perplexed by the rules of British politics, that dictate Matt Hancock loses the Tory whip for going on I'm a Celeb, but not for overseeing tens of thousands of needless deaths during the pandemic
Sources close to West Suffolk representative state that he “doesn’t expect to serve in government again, so it’s an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the 12 million Brits who tune in every single night.” Hancock is apparently using his time in the jungle to promote his dyslexia campaign.
Trying to raise awareness for charity sounds great but he does realise he’s just going to be kept in as long as possible and made to do virtually every single trial, right?
Either way, many have been left angered by the decision to let yet another politician join a reality show when they are supposed to be serving the public, especially in times of struggle like the ongoing cost of living and energy crises.
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But it shouldn’t be happening at all, ever. We shouldn’t be in any encouraging people to go into politics as a way of gaining a career in television or popular culture.
Politics is serious. People are starving, freezing and dying.
Retired or not, the likes of Anne Widdecombe, George Galloway, Ed Balls and many more have appeared on the likes of Strictly Come Dancing and Big Brother, while the last Tory MP to appear on the British TV institution was former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, who still remains an MP for Mid Bedfordshire.
Other members of the I’m A Celebrity 2022 cast confirmed so far include pop legend Boy George and recently retired Lionesses veteran, Jill Scott MBE.
There’s a FREE Children in Need event coming to MediaCityUK
Thomas Melia
An all-new and completely free to enjoy Children in Need event is making its way to MediaCityUK later this November, and it’s bringing along some iconic brands.
Everyone’s favourite yellow bear is returning to Manchester to take over MediaCityUK and rename it Pudsey’s Piazza for one night only.
Pudsey Bear is heading down to MediaCityUK and he’s bringing all the best activities, games, famous food, live music and more for four hours of FREE family-oriented fun.
You can expect to see Pudsey and the team alongside a whole host of celebrities, brand partners and lots of friends when Children in Need hosts its celebration later this November.
Some of the brands which have been announced include staple high street bakery Greggs, a collaboration between McDonald’s and its sports counterpart, Fun Football UK.
DJ AG is just one of the special guests preparing to take over MediaCityUK this November for Children in Need (Credit: Supplied)
Also joining the bill is viral TikTok potato-loving duo Spud Bros, who will be serving up their famed jacket potatoes with an array of fillings to choose from inside their recognisable big red van.
Greggs will be bringing a huge double-decker bus to Pudsey’s Piazza at MediaCityUK with treats on hand throughout this evening celebration, as well as interactive games for you to play.
You’ll also be able to catch a glimpse of a replica Red Arrows jet, which will be situated on the piazza all night long courtesy of aerial experts Royal Air Force.
If that wasn’t enough for you, your night will be soundtracked by the one and only viral nomad music maker DJ AG, who’ll be playing out tunes as part of a charity livestream at the bandstand.
MediaCityUK is the home of BBC Children in Need, so it’s only fitting that Pudsey would throw one of his biggest parties yet right here in Greater Manchester.
Pudsey and his friends are transforming MediaCityUK into Pudsey’s Piazza on Friday, 14 November from 4pm to 8pm, and they’re encouraging anyone to come along, especially since it’s FREE.
Featured Images — David Dixon (via Geograph)/Supplied
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‘I wouldn’t change this career for anything’: trainee probation officer amidst new recruitment drive in Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We sat down with Lea, who is currently working towards her Professional Qualification in Probation – or PQiP for short – to become a fully qualified probation officer here in Greater Manchester.
Here’s Lea on life as a trainee probation officer…
So, how did you get into this particular career, and what made you want to jump into the probation service, specifically?
I’ve always had an interest in the legal world and love watching crime dramas. I started off in courts admin, where I was exposed to a lot of different roles in the Criminal Justice System, like probation officers, solicitors, judges and so on.
Credit: The Manc Group
I decided that was the kind of career I wanted, and I feel like, with probation, if you like watching crime documentaries and understanding human behaviour, then it might be the perfect career for you. It was kind of the moment everything clicked into place for me.
I’m sure training to be a probation officer involves a little more than your average nine-to-five, but what does a typical day look like for you?
Every day is different. You do have different priorities; a lot of the time, you prioritise things around emergencies and what is most urgent.
For example, today one of the offenders I work with, who’s only 19, got kicked out of his house, so I’ve been trying to find him a place to sleep tonight to keep him off the streets.
Criminal behaviour is often about taking shortcuts, I would say, so it’s prioritising that situation to keep him on the straight and narrow, but also making sure that the public is protected. I think that the number one priority with probation is public protection.
Typical days can also include making sure offenders follow what they’ve been ordered to do by the court, whether that’s Community Payback or other measures.
On top of that, it’s about making sure they have the support they need. Some people struggle to keep appointments, so we carry out referrals and mental health checks to help them stay on track.
These all sound like quite emotional situations to be thrown into. How do you deal with the emotional side and high-stress scenarios?
It can be hard on you emotionally. Although you’re dealing with offenders, they’re often in the situation they’re in for a multitude of reasons. It’s about trying to keep a cool head and manage the situation strategically.
You can’t do it on your own – it’s impossible – but as a probation officer, you are the first point of call. You’re kind of like their ‘life manager’ working to make sure they’re okay, as well as following the law.
It sounds like very important and fulfilling work. What’s the training process like?
As a trainee probation officer, it is difficult at times because they really do throw you into stuff, but they do it strategically, slowly increasing the level of cases you work on and providing opportunities to shadow more experienced colleagues.
I can easily lean on my colleagues, and in addition to the practical training, there’s the university side of it as well. It’s quite a dynamic role, and you still benefit from the split between study and practice.
How do you unwind after this job?
That’s a really great question. I cycle to work, and that’s my silent time, so even that hour alone of cycling is a way to keep me off my phone and allows my brain to properly switch off.
I think that’s really important because you can do everything you possibly can to help offenders, and you need to take care of yourself, too.
Do you think you can make that impact during your working day?
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I certainly like to think so. I think it’s important that you do take breaks as well; people forget that it’s not a normal job. You will have to be able to deal with challenging offenders, but it’s just about being resilient and following what you learn in training, remembering it’s about the circumstances they’re in and trying to understand that.
And do you get satisfaction and fulfilment from that?
Oh yeah, absolutely. In probation, there is that pattern of people making the same mistakes over and over again, and you’ll see them over and over again for years, but then you remember that people are capable of change – it just takes longer for some than others. When I’m struggling, I always think of those I have helped turn their life around and take pride in knowing they’re doing better and are happier.
Is there one particular case that springs to mind?
Yeah, there’s one particular offender I always think of. When he first came to court, he wouldn’t speak to anybody, and even when he went on probation, he just wouldn’t say anything or even show up to anything.
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He was then allocated to me – and sometimes it’s not necessarily the officer, but it’s something about that emotional connection, or it could just be how you get along with people – that finally clicked.
I did a lot of work with him; he was homeless, jobless, had an addiction problem and wasn’t compliant with his court order, but now he’s housed, has a job, and he’s doing really well.
Credit: The Manc
That’s such a lovely story. What skills or qualities would you say are needed to do this type of work?
The top one would be resilience. Resourcefulness, communication and organisation. Being able to stay calm is a really big one, too.
What other benefits are there to a role in the Probation Service?
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I feel like lots of people don’t realise that this is one of those roles where you can start at the very bottom and work your way up, and there are so many areas that you can work in the Probation Service
It’s like the NHS: so many different lanes you can go down, different specialities, and it is a Civil Service job, so the pension is really good.
Of course, and lastly, if you were to give one piece of advice to someone interested in a career in the Probation Service, what would it be?
Persevere. It’s not always going to be easy, and you’re going to go through a lot, because it’s a hard job and you’re dealing with challenging people, but you just have to push through because it does get easier.
It is such a rewarding job, and I wouldn’t change this career for anything.
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Interested?
If Lea’s story has made you think a career in HM Prison and Probation Service might be for you, you can find out more about the opportunities in Manchester on the Service’s recruitment website.
You can hear from Vinay, a Community Payback placement coordinator who works in the Probation Service, in the video below.
Danny Jones -
1st November 2022 
