Sylvester Stalom
I’M A Celeb’s Matt Hancock has got a taste of the fame game after secretly growing close to high-profile celebrities – admitting he “loves reality TV stars now”.
The 44-year-old filmed Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins before signing up for I’m A Celebrity.
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It was during this time he bonded with stars including Gareth Gates, Teddy Soares, Danielle Lloyd and Gareth Thomas.
But it was much-loved TV hardman Jason “Foxy” Fox who he got on best with.
A TV insider told The Sun: “Matt Hancock put himself hugely out of his comfort zone when he flew to Vietnam to film Celeb SAS with a whole host of reality stars.
“He ended up striking up a friendship with most of those competing on the show and they have kept in touch.
“He says he loves reality stars now because of them and is hooked – but it was Foxy who he really bonded with.
“The pair have stayed in contact and apparently Jason Foxy Fox is rooting for him to be king of the jungle and when he gets out they will hang out.
“It’s likely Matt will surprise a lot of people when they watch him on the show.”
The former health secretary became famous during the pandemic after breaching his own lockdown rules by having an office affair, and for delaying the first lockdown which resulted in over 20,000 more deaths from Covid.
Tonight he makes his debut on I’m A Celebrity – despite a petition from viewers to have him dropped.
He’ll be seen heading into the derelict Snake Rock camp alongside comedian Seann Walsh, 36, before taking on his first trial to win stars in exchange for food.
Matt, who was isolating at a plush £2million luxury beach house before heading into camp as part of strict ITV rules, is set to take on a record-breaking number of trials after the series has returned to Australia.
An insider said: “Matt was forced to crawl through tunnels infested with critters in what is set to be his first of many Bushtucker Trials.
“He then climbed into a huge pool of slime before he was smothered with maggots and spiders.
“The ITV crew didn’t hold back as he was truly thrown into the deep end which is just a taste of what is to come.”
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