Ex I’m A Celeb campmate Stanley Johnson claims Matt Hancock has ‘break clause’ in his contract that means he could leave jungle and return to UK to deal with ‘unforeseeable’ events in his constituency
- Stanley Johnson claims Matt Hancock will have a break clause in his ITV contract
- Former I’m A Celeb star, 82, made the comments during a GB News interview
- Hancock’s shock booking as contestant was last night defended by ITV bosses
- And sources close to the show have insisted he is still able to fulfil MP duties
Former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here campmate Stanley Johnson has suggested Matt Hancock has a ‘break clause’ in his ITV contract that will allow him to leave the jungle should an emergency transpire in his constituency.
The former MEP and father of ex-premier Boris Johnson made the claims during an interview with GB News’ Dan Wootton on Wednesday evening.
Speaking to the MailOnline columnist, Mr Johnson said: ‘Apparently, there is some sort of “break clause” in Matt Hancock’s contract which says if some unforeseeable event happens in West Suffolk… they can get out.’
One source insisted Mr Hancock will still be able to fulfil the duties of an MP despite being 10,270 miles away in Australia.
The former Health Secretary’s shock signing stunned MPs and his constituents after it was confirmed he would be competing on the primetime series alongside stars including singer Boy George, rugby ace Mike Tindall, DJ Chris Moyles, and Coronation Street actress Sue Cleaver.
Mr Hancock, 44, who has been stripped of the Conservative Party whip, attempted to justify his decision saying he was intending to promote his dyslexia campaign in the Aussie jungle, as well as talk to people ‘who aren’t always interested in politics.’
He also boldly claimed he could still be reached on ‘urgent constituency matters’ while participating in I’m A Celebrity.
A source close to the show told MailOnline today: ‘Matt’s working. He’s had a number of online meetings since his arrival.’
Former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here campmate Stanley Johnson (pictured) has suggested Matt Hancock has a ‘break clause’ in his ITV contract that will allow him to leave the jungle should an emergency transpire in his constituency
Speaking to MailOnline columnist and GB News host Dan Wootton, Mr Johnson said: ‘Apparently, there is some sort of “break clause” in Matt Hancock’s contract which says if some unforeseeable event happens in West Suffolk… they can get out’
One source insisted Matt Hancock will still be able to fulfil the duties of an MP despite being 10,270 miles away in Australia. The former minister is pictured above arriving in Brisbane
A spokesperson for ITV declined to comment on the existence of a break clause when contacted by MailOnline.
Mr Johnson also reminisced on his time in the jungle, and disputed Mr Hancock’s claim that he hadn’t accepted ITV’s offer to appear for the paycheck.
He said: ‘When I did it, I persuaded myself that one of the reasons I was doing the jungle was forgetting about the money, that I was going to go out there and talk about climate change.
‘And I’m going to bore the socks off them and they’re all brilliant people… and I did talk to them quite often and I said: “Oh I bet they’re showing that back in England”.
‘But of course, they weren’t.’
Insiders have revealed that the MP is being paid around £400,000 for his appearance in the Jungle, with the amount of money helping to ‘seal the deal’.
Isabel Oakeshott, Mr Hancock’s book writer, said that the former minister decided to enter the I’m a Celebrity Jungle after being ‘snubbed’ by new PM Rishi Sunak.
Ms Oakeshott, 47, told TalkTV that being snubbed by Mr Sunak was ‘incredibly humiliating’ for Mr Hancock.
‘That clip went viral,’ she said. ‘Matt’s decision [to join the show] came pretty soon after that.’
She added: ‘There is another side to Matt Hancock, you’ve got to give him credit for spirit, he’s always up for stuff and I think he’s just going to go for it.
‘He knows this could go wrong but in another way; can things really get worse for him?’
It comes as Mr Hancock’s controversial booking on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! was last night defended by ITV bosses who championed the fact contestants are plucked ‘from all walks of life’.
It was also revealed that the West Suffolk MP will be donating more than his parliamentary salary to charity amid backlash for accepting a ‘£400,000 fee’ for joining the ITV show.
Speaking to MailOnline on the show’s set in Australia, Tweed Shire, executive producer Olly Nash defended Hancock’s signing, saying the ITV series, which starts this Sunday, has a history of featuring politicians.
Mr Hancock is heading to the Australian jungle to take part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Cast: (L-R) Mike Tindall, Owen Warner, Olivia Attwood, Charlene White, Boy George, Scarlette Douglas, Sue Cleaver, Chris Moyles, Babatúndé Aléshé and Jill Scott have been unveiled as the I’m A Celebrity 2022 lineup
He said: ‘It’s always an individual’s choice to come into camp and at any point a celebrity can say I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
‘Nobody has to do the show, nobody has to stay in camp, and nobody has to do the trials. It’s up to any celebrity to make that choice.
‘It doesn’t matter who they are, what their past is, what their history is, once you get an ensemble cast in here you never know how everybody is going to gel so it’s a really hard question to answer.
‘It’s always great to have a good ensemble cast – that’s really the basis of putting everybody together. We cast people from all walks of life and always have done.
Matt Hancock could miss SIXTEEN Commons debates as well and multiple constituency surgeries if he is in Australia for the duration of I’m A Celebrity (while still picking up his MP’s salary)
November 2 2022
Prime Minister’s Question Time
November 3 2022
Oral questions – Department for International Trade
Business Questions to the Leader of the House
Debate on a Motion on the independent review of smokefree 2030 policies
General debate on the Government’s white paper ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’
November 4 2022
Surgery for constituents in West Suffolk
November 7 2022
Ministry of Defence questions
The Social Housing (Regulation) Bill [Lords]: Second reading
Adjournment debate: Governance and financial sustainability of football clubs in England
November 8 2022
Adjournment debate: Impact of night flights on communities under flight paths
November 9 2022
Prime Minister’s Question Time
Adjournment debate: Bathing water status for rivers
November 11 2022
Surgery for constituents in West Suffolk
November 14 2022
Home Office: Oral questions
November 15 2022
Treasury questions
November 16 2022
Prime Minister’s Question Time
November 17 2022
Autumn Statement by the Chancellor
November 11 2022
Surgery for constituents in West Suffolk
‘We have politicians going back years. You never know when they get in what they’re going to do.’
It comes after the father-of-three revealed he had twice been asked to appear on the show before but accepted the third offer because the government is now ‘stable’.
Many have pondered whether he actually made up his mind when he was snubbed by new PM Rishi Sunak at his victory rally last week, which was tacit confirmation his career as a senior MP is over.
And millions are set to punish him for his decision – including MPs.
One former minister has threatened ‘to vote for him to eat armadillo c**k every night’.
Tory MP Tim Loughton added Mr Hancock had been an ‘absolute prat’.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said he should ‘step down’ as a MP and did not deny he would also vote for Mr Hancock to face Bushtucker Trials, smiling as he said: ‘That will be between me and my phone.’
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘We are going to make sure on a cross-party basis that Matt Hancock gets a fill of every creepy crawly in that jungle’.
But some political allies have rushed to the former health secretary’s defence. One told MailOnline: ‘I’m A Celeb is the most watched show on TV. Matt doesn’t expect to serve in Government again, so it’s an incredible opportunity for him to engage with the millions of Brits who tune in every single night.
‘Matt has told the whips in Parliament and he will use his time in the jungle to promote his dyslexia campaign.
‘Matt has an excellent team working with him in West Suffolk, but producers have agreed that he can communicate with them if there’s an urgent constituency matter.”
‘Matt has always believed in communicating directly with the people he represents – whether that’s getting out and pounding the streets in West Suffolk, through all sorts of media or via those press conferences.’
In Mr Hancock’s West Suffolk constituency, Andy Drummond, the cheesed off deputy chairman of the local Conservative Association, said: ‘I’m looking forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. Quote me on that.’
And local Tory councillor Ian Houlder said Mr Hancock has ‘no shame’, a view shared by many, not least the families of 200,000-plus Covid victims who say he is ‘cashing in’ on the pandemic.
‘Everybody knows what he did during the Covid pandemic and he seems to want to rehabilitate himself all the time in the public eye,’ Mr Houlder said. ‘He’s got a skin as thick as a rhinoceros, quite frankly.’
PR expert Mark Borkowski told MailOnline: ‘Hancock is desperate for the visibility or the money… if it’s the money I’d expect £350,000 – he should be very careful what he wishes for.’
He added: ‘He believes this will kick-start a career as a sad extra. Jumping on the flight to enter the jungle proves he is a fame junkie’.
The response at Westminster was swift after news Mr Hancock would join the show which starts on Sunday.
As well as being stripped of the party whip, campaigners for families bereaved in the Covid-19 pandemic accused Mr Hancock of trying to ‘cash in on his terrible legacy’.
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