I'm A Celebrity: Third place Matt Hancock says show was 'extreme way to show who he is'
Matt Hancock has placed third on I'm A Celebrity, declaring the experience "an extreme way to show the public who he truly is".
The former health secretary was one of the show's most controversial contestants ever as he became a late entrant on day three of jungle series alongside Seann Walsh.
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He was so hated by viewers on his entrance into camp he was voted for every single trial for nearly a week – landing an impressive six in a row before viewers got bored of seeing him complete them.
Boy George, Chris Moyles and Sue Cleaver all considered leaving the show, while Charlene White admitted she felt her journalistic integrity came into question by being in camp with him.
However, he also became the camp leader during his 21 days on the show, and caused fury with viewers as he managed to survive to the final alongside Jill Scott and Owen Warner.
Speaking to Ant and Dec after his exit, he said: "I just wanted to show what I'm just like as a person. Lots of people come to me with preconceived ideas, for obvious reasons and I just wanted to be myself.
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"But I also actually strongly believe that for politicians as a whole, we don't come across as human enough, and this is probably the most sort of extreme way of just showing who you are. The guy who throws himself into things, and we managed to talk about some important things.
"Yeah, we talked in there all sorts of conversations, not just about politics. Narrowly, but like dyslexia, with, especially with Jill and George about what it's like growing up gay, all sorts of really interesting and important conversations."
Hancock added he was aware that his participation would ruffle some feathers, but was grateful the campmates gave him the opportunity to talk.
"Actually one of the things I'm really grateful for the way camp worked this year, was that we had really grown up conversations about it," he said. "There was strong feelings but there wasn't any aggro discussions, and really grown up."
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After leaving the jungle, he was reunited with Gina Coladangelo, who he infamously was caught cheating on his wife during the height of the pandemic.
He was the first to be eliminated in the finale, leaving behind Scott and Warner to take the crown.
I'm A Celebrity is available to watch on ITVX in full.
WATCH: Matt comes in third place! | I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
