Matt Hancock’s huge I’m A Celebrity pay cheque revealed – and it’s one of the largest ever
MATT Hancock is being paid close to half a million pounds by I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!.
Insiders told The Sun how the Conservative MP had landed a payday worth around £400,000 to take part in the ITV series – sparking fury among his critics.
A source said: “Matt’s pay deal with I’m A Celebrity is around £400,000 which is one of the largest ever show fees to have been paid out.
“ITV were keen for viewers to think the deal was worth around £150,000 but in reality it’s over double that.
“They asked him to be on the show three times in a matter of weeks and the money definitely helped seal the deal.”
The under-fire former Health Minister, 44, has insisted he will make a sizeable donation to charity but the size of his deal has caused outrage – with those who know him saying his West Suffolk constituents will be apoplectic with rage at the size of the cash deal.
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Sharon Twite, 50, landlady of The White Swan, in Exning, in Hancock’s West Suffolk constituency voted for Hancock at the last election and blasted him for “letting us all down”.
The mum-of-four fumed: “He’s getting £400,000 to go and eat grubs in the jungle, Jesus Christ.
“It’s disgraceful. He’s just profiting off his shocking behaviour. He thinks he can get away with anything. The man just doesn’t have his feet on the ground.
“Trust me, everyone round here will be hammering the phones to make sure he does every shocking, terrifying, dirty trial available. I hope he gets the jungle runs.”
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The gran-of-six added: “That sort of money would keep me afloat for years.
“It’s unbelievable he’s still being paid by parliament. He needs to give all of his fee to charity, nit hiding behind vague comments.
“He’s not here to helping us, we’ve got chaos with new bus services not working, businesses are on their knees, there is nothing left in the town.
“If he gave the money to his constituency he might get some respect – because no-one has any for him at the moment.”
A spokesperson for Matt Hancock said: “Matt will be making a donation to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and causes supporting dyslexia off the back of his appearance. He will also declare the amount he receives from the show to Parliament to ensure complete transparency, as normal.”
Hancock, who landed in Brisbane, Australia, late on Tuesday night, hasn’t just angered his constituents and other members of the Tory party.
Channel 4, who signed Hancock up for the next series of Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins are furious at his decision to join I’m A Celebrity – which will air months before that series comes out.
Hancock is now in quarantine on the Gold Coast ahead of the show starting on Sunday evening.
He will join 10 other stars including pop star Boy George, former rugby player Mike Tindall and Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver in the Australian jungle.
Viewers will not see Matt on screen until the end of next week as he signed up as late arrival – joining comedian and ex Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh.
Writing in The Sun yesterday Hancock insisted his decision to join I’m A Celebrity was not driven by money but to help promote his campaign about dyslexia, a condition he was diagnosed with after leaving school.
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He added: “Reality TV is a very different way to communicate with the electorate — it’s both honest and unfiltered.
“I want to use this incredible platform to raise awareness, so no child leaves primary school not knowing if they have dyslexia.”