Tories suspend Matt Hancock after he joins I'm a Celebrity

The MP’s decision to head to the jungle has infuriated colleagues as parliament will still be sitting for much of the show’s run. 

Shortly after news of his imminent appearance on the Ant and Dec fronted survival show was revealed in today’s Sun, the Tories removed the whip. 

Chief Whip Simon Hart said: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.

Details of his appearance come a day after he ended his campaign to be the next chair of the Treasury selected committee.

He is not the first politician to take part in the programme, his former cabinet colleague Nadine Dorries was on the show in 2013. She was briefly suspended by the Tories over the decision. 

Kezia Dugdale took part in 2017, shortly after her time as leader of Scottish Labour came to an end, though while she was still an MSP.

She was forced to drink a milkshake of ostrich and pig anuses and crawled through fish guts in a tank labelled Sickola Sturgeon.

Other contestants lined up for this year’s show include comedian Seann Walsh and singer Boy George.

A TV insider told The Sun: “Matt is a sensational signing for the show as producers love a star with a story to tell – and they always hope they’ll spill the beans round the campfire.

“He’s the latest in a long line of figures from the political sphere, including MP Nadine Dorries, Stanley Johnson and MP Lembit Opik.

“There’s been a question mark over who the 12th campmate would be, partly because negotiations over Matt going in were so top secret. It seems Matt was a last-minute signing.”

Mr Hancock was forced to resign as health secretary last year after the Sun published pictures of him breaching his own social distancing guidance by kissing colleague, Gina Coladangelo, inside the Department of Health.