att Hancock has insisted he didn’t move on “in the first place”. I’m a celebrity… Get me out of here! for the money while being grilled by Kate Garraway.
The former health minister was confronted during an awkward conversation on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday about the government’s response to Covid, breaking pandemic restrictions and his appearance on reality TV.
Ms Garraway, whose husband Derek Draper has been in an induced coma for months after contracting coronavirus and is still suffering from severe, long-term Covid, questioned why he decided to take part in the reality series when audiences were still “raw” about his behavior during the pandemic. .
The West Suffolk MP was sacked from his cabinet job when it was revealed he had been having an affair with Gina Coladangelo during Covid restrictions.
He lost the Tory whip when he entered the Australian jungle last year.
“The problem is that because you were health minister,” Ms Garraway said. “Because I couldn’t visit Derek in the hospital at the time.
“He couldn’t see his children. Thousands more couldn’t visit the people they loved for various reasons because they followed the guidelines and you have to understand it was all very confused for us here in the world at the time.
“It gives the impression that you still don’t understand why they’re angry. You still don’t understand why people are upset.”
Hancock said the program was “one of the few ways you can really interact with the British public”.
He described the 3 per cent of his £320,000 I’m A Celeb fee he gave to charity as a “decent amount”.
The £10,000 donation was made to the British Dyslexia Association.
Mr Hancock described it as “more than my MPs’ salary”, which he was still receiving when he appeared on the show.
Co-host Richard Madeley asked him if “the money wasn’t important to you, why did you keep most of it?”
“I definitely gave some of the money to charity,” Hancock said.
“I didn’t do it primarily for the money, I did it mainly to show who I am.”
He did admit that “of course there was a discussion and negotiation about the fee”.