Matt Hancock has broken his silence and explained his reasons for going on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here.
The politician was suspended as a Tory MP and lost the whip yesterday when the news broke that he would be joining this year’s famous contestants in the Australian jungle.
Now, in a column in The Sun, Hancock has explained that he hasn’t ‘lost his marbles’ by choosing to go on reality TV.
Rather, he wants to use the platform to reach people who ‘aren’t always interested in politics’ and ‘show the human side of those who make decisions’.
Hancock told the paper: “While there will undoubtedly be those who think I shouldn’t go, I think it’s a great opportunity to talk directly to people who aren’t always interested in politics, even if they care very much about how our country’s run.
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Matt Hancock will join the rest of the I’m A Celebrity 2022 cast. Credit: ITV
“It’s our job as politicians to go to where the people are — not to sit in ivory towers in Westminster.
“There are many ways to do the job of being an MP. Whether I’m in camp for one day or three weeks, there are very few places people will be able to see a politician as they really are.
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“Like you, politicians are human, with hopes and fears, and normal emotions just like everyone else.”
Next week, I'm going into the jungle, as part of this year's @imacelebrity
He added that he hopes to use the platform to raise awareness for his campaign to better identify and support dyslexic children.
Saying that he had been approached three times by ITV before accepting the place on I’m A Celebtity, Hancock continued: “And no, it wasn’t the cheque that changed my mind. I will be making a donation to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and causes supporting dyslexia off the back of my appearance.
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“I will, of course, also declare the amount I receive from the show to Parliament to ensure complete transparency, as normal.”
Matt Hancock will be joining other celebrities including Boy George, Sue Cleaver and Jill Scott on this year’s I’m A Celebrity 2022, which will be back in Australia for the first time in two years.
Other I’m A Celebrity 2022 contestants will be Manchester-based TV personality and former Love Island star Olivia Attwood, Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner, ex-England rugby player Mike Tindall MBE, and comedian Babatúndé Aléshé.
Completing this year’s line-up are presenter and property expert Scarlette Douglas, presenter and journalist Charlene White, and radio legend Chris Moyles.
Ant and Dec will be back as hosts as the celebs battle it out to be crowned king or queen of the jungle.
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Campmates will spend their first night on an island and face their first trial there, ITV has confirmed.
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here 2022 will return to ITV on Sunday 6 November at 9pm.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons / ITV/The Manc Group
TV & Showbiz
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Will Mellor’s new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims airs tonight
Emily Sergeant
A new BBC documentary about real-life victims from the Post Office scandal fronted by Will Mellor is hitting TV screens tonight.
As the country finally starts to wake up to the full scale of the Post Office scandal – which involved the British postal service pursuing thousands of innocent subpostmasters for apparent financial shortfalls caused by faults in an accounting software system between 1999 and 2015 – actor Will Mellor is on a mission to find out what happened to the real-life sub-postmasters in this new BBC documentary.
The Stockport-born actor famously played the part of Lee Castleton in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, and says he feels a “real affinity” will the families he spoke to for the programme.
For the new documentary and accompanying five-part BBC Sounds podcast series – which is titled Surviving the Post Office – Will actually speaks to Mr Castleton himself, as well as four other affected people and their families whose lives have been “torn apart”.
Will Mellor has fronted a new BBC documentary about real-life Post Office scandal victims / Credit: ITV
Surviving the Post Office ventures to all four corners of England, including East Yorkshire, County Durham, Lincolnshire, West Sussex, and Cornwall, as Will discovers that many of the sub-postmasters want to “take back control of their lives”.
According to the BBC, for some facing the past, that proves to be a “troubling experience”, while for others, it ends up being a “liberating” step forwards.
As well as exploring the financial losses for many, including the people featured in the documentary and podcast series, Will also gets to find out how they are coping with their emotions, trying to move on from the whole ordeal, and how the victims are finding support in unexpected ways.
📢 Actor Will Mellor meets the real-life victims of the Post Office scandal in a brand new documentary from BBC Local
Surviving The Post Office is coming to @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer tonight at 8.30pm. The podcast series is on @BBCSounds now
“I feel a real affinity with these families, so it was a privilege to hear their stories for this documentary and podcast,” Will said ahead of the documentary airing on BBC One.
“What shocked me the most after meeting so many sub-postmasters is just how far the impact and trauma has spread – the effect it’s had on people’s health, their children, and their whole communities has been massive.”