AN I’M A Celebrity boss has been forced to reject claims that Matt Hancock has been signed up to deliberately “divide the camp”.
Executive producer Olly Nash explained it wasn’t the first time a politician or “people who have very strong views about certain things” had entered the jungle.
“We’ve put in loads of politicians over the years, we also put in people who have had very strong views about certain things and sometimes it plays out in camp and sometimes it doesn’t,” he told ITV News.
“It’s not a question of trying to divide camp, we have never been a deliberately divisive camp.
“It’s up to them to come into the camp and it’s up to them if they want to leave.”
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Insiders told The Sun how the Conservative MP had landed a payday worth around £400,000 to take part in the ITV series – sparking fury among his critics.
A source said: “Matt’s pay deal with I’m A Celebrity is around £400,000 which is one of the largest ever show fees to have been paid out.
“ITV were keen for viewers to think the deal was worth around £150,000 but in reality it’s over double that.
“They asked him to be on the show three times in a matter of weeks and the money definitely helped seal the deal.”
The under-fire former Health Minister, 44, has insisted he will make a sizeable donation to charity but the size of his deal has caused outrage – with those who know him saying his West Suffolk constituents will be apoplectic with rage at the size of the cash deal.
A spokesperson for Matt Hancock said: “Matt will be making a donation to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and causes supporting dyslexia off the back of his appearance. He will also declare the amount he receives from the show to Parliament to ensure complete transparency, as normal.”
Hancock, who landed in Brisbane, Australia, late on Tuesday night, hasn’t just angered his constituents and other members of the Tory party.
Hancock is now in quarantine on the Gold Coast ahead of the show starting on Sunday evening.
He will join 10 other stars including pop star Boy George, former rugby player Mike Tindall and Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver in the Australian jungle.
Viewers will not see Matt on screen until the end of next week as he signed up as late arrival – joining comedian and ex Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh.
Writing in The Sun yesterday Hancock insisted his decision to join I’m A Celebrity was not driven by money but to help promote his campaign about dyslexia, a condition he was diagnosed with after leaving school.
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He added: “Reality TV is a very different way to communicate with the electorate — it’s both honest and unfiltered.
“I want to use this incredible platform to raise awareness, so no child leaves primary school not knowing if they have dyslexia.”
