Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – and probably much of the nation – could barely contain their glee as the former health secretary was forced to crawl through tiny, dark tunnels where bugs and slime drenched. Hancock made his debut on the show in the fourth episode, which aired on Wednesday night, alongside comedian Seann Walsh. The pair went straight into their first trial, called Beastly Burrows, which involved feeling their way through dark, muddy tunnels and feeling around them for the stars that represent achievement in the trials. Notable moments include Hancock squealing as insects and thick liquid pour down on him from above. He gave plenty of comedic opportunity to his comic teammate, asking him: “Which way do you want me to go?” prompting Walsh to reply: “I’m not a satnav, I don’t know!” The inclusion of Hancock is seen as an attempt by the producers to increase the ratings, which have been marked in recent seasons. The opening episode – which aired on Sunday after Hancock’s participation was announced – averaged 9 million viewers, peaking at more than 10 million at one point, up from last year’s low of 8 million. Viewers were surprised not to see Hancock at the launch, as he had landed in Australia on November 1. McPartlin and Donnelly hinted that she will be joining soon, confirming that they will soon “open the welcome mat” for new arrivals. Matt Hancock during the Beastly Burrows challenge. Photo: ITV/Rex/Shutterstock Both Walsh, 36, and Hancock, 44, have tried to restore their images after dating scandals. Hancock resigned as health secretary for breaking Covid rules by having an affair with his assistant, while Walsh was pictured kissing his Strictly dancer, prompting his then-partner to accuse him of emotional abuse. Hancock’s decision to take part in the show has been widely criticized by colleagues in parliament, as he is a sitting MP and will be away from his constituents in West Suffolk for the duration of the show, although producers will allow him to contact them and will have surgeries on his return. He removed the Conservative party whip and the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, expressed his “disappointment”. Hancock removed his phone from producers after landing in Australia and may not be fully aware of the magnitude of the backlash. Speaking ahead of his debut on the show, Hancock defended his decision, saying he was driven by a search for “different ways to connect with audiences”, especially young people. In a letter to voters acknowledging their “concerns”, he said he “did not expect to serve in government again” and that he could support Sunak “in other ways” as there are “many ways to do his job Member of Parliament”. Get our weekly pop culture email delivered free to your inbox every Friday Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He plans to use the platform to raise the profile of his dyslexia screening account, which aims to help children receive diagnoses earlier, and will donate part of his fee from the show to causes including the British Dyslexia Association . Hancock has expressed fears about encountering snakes in the jungle, but not about other challenges. “I’ve never met a snake up close, so I’m quite apprehensive about anything to do with snakes. I’m not claustrophobic, or at least I haven’t been, but that’s the thing about being a Celebrity – it’s the unknown,” she said. Asked whether he thought his colleagues in parliament and the British public would vote for him to test, he said he “wouldn’t be surprised”. Shadow business minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News that Hancock’s appearance on the show “demeans politics and the work we do”, but admitted he would tune in to see how his parliamentary colleague was getting on. Asked if he would vote for Hancock to eat crocodile anus during the trials, Reynolds replied: “I think there’s going to be a landslide across the country for Matt volunteering to do something like that.”
