Matt Hancock’s huge I’m A Celebrity pay cheque revealed – and it’s one of the largest ever
MATT Hancock is being paid close to half a million pounds by I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!.
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.
READ MORE ON MATT HANCOCK
Sharon Twite, 50, landlady of The White Swan, in Exning, in Hancock’s West Suffolk constituency voted for Hancock at the last election and blasted him for “letting us all down”.
The mum-of-four fumed: “He’s getting £400,000 to go and eat grubs in the jungle, Jesus Christ.
“It’s disgraceful. He’s just profiting off his shocking behaviour. He thinks he can get away with anything. The man just doesn’t have his feet on the ground.
“Trust me, everyone round here will be hammering the phones to make sure he does every shocking, terrifying, dirty trial available. I hope he gets the jungle runs.”
The gran-of-six added: “That sort of money would keep me afloat for years.
“It’s unbelievable he’s still being paid by parliament. He needs to give all of his fee to charity, nit hiding behind vague comments.
“He’s not here to helping us, we’ve got chaos with new bus services not working, businesses are on their knees, there is nothing left in the town.
“If he gave the money to his constituency he might get some respect - because no-one has any for him at the moment.”
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.
New trial will serve up camel testicles
By Emily Webber
I’M A Celeb bosses have revealed the major changes to the show as it celebrates its 20th year — including a new stomach-turning trial.
Executive producer Olly Nash revealed they had added camel testicles to the menu for this year’s celebrities — who would also be chowing down on fish eyes and vomit fruit. Another new trial will be inspired by Netflix’s brutal series Squid Game.
The contestants will be kitted out in red jumpsuits with their voting number on the pocket to imitate those seen in the hit South Korean survival series.
The producers of the hit ITV show have also planned a whopping 24 gruesome trials for the celebrities across the 21 episodes.
Olly added: “We are filming more than we have ever filmed before.
“There will be more elements over more shows, so it is not all going to be limited to the first show.” Bosses have also introduced a new system of bringing the celebrities into the camp and will stagger it — so they have to fight over the beds.
Olly added: “The first three celebrities will be followed by another three celebrities as they arrive in camp, and they will be the ones who will get the prime pick of the beds.”
Channel 4, who signed Hancock up for the next series of Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins are furious at his decision to join I’m A Celebrity with some calling for his fee to be shelved.
A source said: “Matt joining I’m A Celebrity is a massive two fingers up to SAS Who Dares Wins.
“And not only has Matt joined I’m A Celeb just weeks after filming SAS, but that show will air months before SAS.”
The source went on to say that some believe Matt’s fee for the show, believed to be around £25,000, should be docked.
They added: “There are a lot of angry people working on SAS who loved Matt when he signed up but now are treating him with total contempt.
“He was SAS’s big star signing and the show was supposed to be Matt’s first big television series.
“By joining I’m A Celebrity it basically renders that exclusivity that Channel 4 had redundant."
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.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
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.”
Breaking Bad-style RV in camp
A LUXURY RV has been built into the camp — similar to the one seen on hit drug dealer telly series Breaking Bad, below.
The vehicle has two beds and celebs will win the chance to stay there. Show chiefs have also installed a tandem bike to get hot water running to the jungle shower.
Meanwhile, panic broke out as one of Australia’s most venomous snakes was found in camp during rehearsals.
An executive said: “A red-bellied black snake curled up just inches away from the head of a stand-in as she slept.
The snake is very common in this part of Australia but is venomous and could have been nasty, causing bleeding and vomiting.”