Matt Hancock sets up his own TV company after earning £360,000 for his performance in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! and Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins
- Matt Hancock served as Secretary of Health for three years and during the pandemic
- He was forced to resign amid public outcry after breaking his own Covid rules
Former Minister of Health Matt Hancock founded his own TV company after appearing on I’m a celebrity and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins earned him more than £360,000.
The West Suffolk Member of Parliament, who Tory whip over his performance on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, has already said he will step down at the next general election.
The formation of television programming and broadcasting company Greenhazel, first reported by the Sunday People, suggests Mr Hancock is hoping for more TV opportunities.
Mr Hancock is listed as the only director of the company who was registered with Companies House in January at an address in Newmarket, Suffolk.
Mr Hancock’s stint in the Australian jungle on the ITV reality show netted him £320,000 last year, of which £10,000 was donated to charity.
Mr Hancock served as health minister for nearly three years but resigned in June 2021
He appeared on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! and was greeted by girlfriend Gina Coladangelo, with whom he was caught breaking lockdown rules
He was expelled from the Conservative Party after agreeing to do the show despite Parliament not being in recess at the time, drawing anger from his constituents.
He also earned £45,000 for taking part in Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
Mr Hancock served as health minister for nearly three years but resigned in June 2021 after it emerged he had broken his own Covid-19 policy by kissing assistant Gina Coladangelo in his office.
Footage from CCTV footage was leaked to the media, showing the pair kissing passionately in an elevator.
Ms Coladangelo greeted Mr Hancock as he left the jungle third and sat next to him in the audience of the ITV skating show Dancing On Ice earlier this month.
His regular TV appearances even prompted Brit Awards presenter Mo Gilligan to joke that his next venture would be Love Island at the Feb. 11 ceremony.
“I’ve talked to security, don’t worry, Matt Hancock won’t be there, but you’ll see him on some show,” the comedian said.
“He’ll be at Casa Amor tomorrow night.”
Mr Hancock earned around £320,000 for his performance in the jungle, of which he donated £10,000 to charity
Mr Hancock’s performance in I’m a Celeb was criticized by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Tories, as well as derided by some fellow MPs.
More than 1,000 complaints were made to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom about his participation.
Mr Hancock said that out of his fee he made donations to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and the British Dyslexia Association, adding that the £10,000 he gave away was more than his monthly salary as an MP, which is around £7,000 a month.
His apparent plan to make TV shows has been criticized by Labor MP Richard Burgon, who is calling for a bill in parliament to prevent MPs from second jobs.
Mr. Hancock has also received further income in recent months through the publication of his book Pandemic Diaries.
He also has amassed a significant following on TikTok since his TV appearances.
Mr Hancock will testify in the summer in an inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.