Former health secretary Matt Hancock has donated 3 per cent the £320,000 fee he was paid for his controversial appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Entering the Australian jungle amid criticism from constituents and colleagues, Hancock’s team said he would be donating a portion of his appearance fee to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk.
The register of ministerial interests revealed the MP’s fee for appearing on the ITV reality show was £320,000.
Jungle appearance
The West Suffolk MP, who lost the Tory whip over the appearance, said he donated £10,000 to the hospice near his constituency and the British Dyslexia Association.
He emerged from the Australian jungle in third place behind actor Owen Warner and England professional footballer Jill Scott, following the show’s conclusion in November.
Hancock was subjected to numerous punishing and disgusting tasks while taking part, including being made to eat a camel’s penis and being covered in creepy crawlies.
Records on the MPs’ register showed that on December 14 2022, the West Suffolk MP received £320,000 from Lifted Entertainment, ITV Studios, for the appearance, which lasted 30 days – a total of 720 hours.
“We are grateful for his generosity”
A spokesman for Hancock said: “As well as raising the profile of his dyslexia campaign in front of 11 million viewers, Matt’s donated £10,000 to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and the British Dyslexia Association, off the back of his appearance on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here.”
St Nicholas Hospice thanked Hancock for the donation.
“We are grateful for his generosity, and his gift will be used to help fund the care and support we provide,” a statement said.
The register also showed that he had been paid £48,000 for an interview and the serialisation of his book, Pandemic Diaries, in the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday newspapers.
It was previously revealed that Hancock had also earned £45,000 for taking part in Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
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