Read to find out what Matt writes about in his new book.
West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock has been dominating news headlines ever since he decided to enter the 2022 edition of the survival reality TV series I'm a Celebrity...Get me Out of Here! Following his exit after securing the third position, he is still maintaining his presence in the news through rumors of feuds amongst the co-stars of I'm a Celebrity, and now through a book that gives an inside view into his controversial time as the Health Secretary during the peak of the pandemic.
The question that is on everyone's mind is, what exactly does the book detail and what is the reaction the shamed MP got?
Flaring tensions
The fact that Matt's entire timeline of taking part in I'm a Celebrity, beginning from the announcement till his exit, was mired with friction is not surprising knowledge. As a consequence of attending a reality TV series while Parliament was sitting, his whip as a Conservative Party member was suspended and currently, he sits as an Independent in the House of Commons.
After his entry in the series, he was clearly in the crosshairs of his co-stars, particularly Boy George and Chris Moyles on how he handled the pandemic as the Health Secretary and how he broke protocol to meet with his girlfriend, despite asking the nation to maintain strict social distancing, reports The Sun.
Feud between co-stars
Recently, rumors of a feud between co-stars of I'm a Celebrity were being perceived by various news publications, particularly on how the co-stars were behaving with each other, and Matt seems to be at the center of this feud.
According to The Sun, it was revealed that Matt was not included in the WhatsApp group following his exit, and Mike Tindall, who wasn't a fan of Matt as well, was the group admin and there were speculations that the exclusion of Matt was deliberate. However, campmate Scarlette Douglas, noted that he was eventually added.
An inside perspective
The Mirror notes that the specific goal of the book is to give a personal account of the pandemic from Matt's perspective, prior to resigning as the Health Secretary. A section of the book highlights how Matt had visited a hospital and experienced what frontline staff were seeing first-hand.
He wrote:
In intensive care, I watched a man consent to being intubated because his blood oxygen levels weren't sustainable. He spoke to the doctor who said, 'We want to put a tube in, because we don't think you'll make it unless we do that.' He reluctantly agreed, and within a minute he was flat out on the ventilator. The doctor next to me said, 'I don't think we'll see him again'.
Gaby Hinsliff of The Guardian delivers sharp criticism of the book, particularly on Matt's justification of breaking rules to meet his girlfriend, where he notes that 'I’ve always known from the novels that people will risk everything (for love),' which completely dismisses the protocols that were expected by the entire public to follow.
In terms of his book launch, none of the co-stars of I'm a Celebrity attended the event except for Love Island co-stars Faye Winter and Teddy Soares. This clearly indicates a rift between the co-stars of I'm a Celebrity that was seemingly fueled by Matt, although no one has come forth and detailed it other than Boy George, who has been a stark critic of Matt from the beginning itself, reports The Mirror.
Read more:
⋙ Boy George warns fans not to believe in anything Matt Hancock says
⋙ 'Desperate' Matt Hancock eyes TV career after I'm A Celeb stint
⋙ Matt Hancock paid £45,000 for Celebrity: SAS Who Dares Wins appearance
