'They are very much a team': Matt Hancock consulted his girlfriend Gina Coladangelo 'at length' before entering I'm a Celeb jungle as friends say they told him decision was 'very high risk' and will mean he 'won't serve in the government again'
- CCTV caught Mr Hancock, 44, sharing an intimate kiss with Ms Coladangelo
- This was a breach of his own coronavirus restrictions and led to him resigning
- He consulted friends and family members over the summer about the show
- He has been voted to face his fifth consecutive Bushtucker trial by the public
Matt Hancock consulted his PR girlfriend Gina Coladangelo, 44, 'at length' before entering the I'm a Celeb jungle as friends told him it was a very risky decision, it has been revealed today.
The former Health Secretary is said to have discussed his decision with close friends and family over the summer, including Ms Coladangelo, who Mr Hancock, also 44, was pictured kissing in the Department of Health in breach of coronavirus restrictions.
Mr Hancock was married at the time and has three children, but has previously disagreed with the term 'affair', telling the I'm a Celeb jungle: 'I fell in love.'
He received his girlfriend's guidance on entering the show as sources close to the couple say they are 'very much a team', The Times has revealed.
The news comes as Mr Hancock is facing backlash over his choice to take part in the series in Australia when Parliament is still sitting and he is being paid to represent his constituents there.
After the public announcement was made, Mr Hancock lost the Conservative Party whip.
Matt Hancock (right) walks alongside his now-girlfriend Gina Coladangelo (left), both 44
Matt Hancock is set to face his fifth Bushtucker trial in a row after he was voted to take part yet again by the public
One friend who the West Suffolk MP consulted prior to entering the jungle told The Times: 'If he wanted to climb the greasy pole, play the Westminster game, sit around waiting for a call to be a cabinet minister again, and otherwise just be a Tory backbencher for the next 20 years, that he shouldn't do it.
'But if he wanted a platform to engage with millions of viewers, push a lot of the campaigns he cares about, show what he's actually like as a person, and didn't mind probably not serving in government again, then it could be a good opportunity ... It was obviously very high risk.'
Mr Hancock resigned in disgrace as Health Secretary in June 2021 after the now infamous image of him and Ms Coladangelo breaking social distancing guidelines was leaked.
He has apologised while in the I'm a Celeb camp for the intimate image, which was described by campmate Babatúndé Aléshé as 'grabbing booty'.
Mr Hancock replied: 'I messed up and I fessed up. It's no excuse but I fell in love.' But this has not gone down well with viewers who pointed out the then-Health Secretary did not admit the affair until after the image had been leaked to the media.
The MP said he was on the show 'for a bit of forgiveness'. He has also claimed he wants to raise awareness around dyslexia.
The couple initially met at Oxford and then worked together during the pandemic. A friend told The Times he had been 'a sort of puppy dog, following her around. This [the affair] is a case of persistence paying off.'
Mr Hancock is not only under scrutiny over his own affair during the pandemic, but decisions taken which may have led to deaths.
Decisions taken by the Health Secretary, including discharging hospital patients into care homes without testing them for coronavirus, were ruled as in breach of the law in April.
Matt Hancock has been voted to undertake his fifth consecutive Bushtucker trial by the public, who have been less than impressed with the decision to enter the jungle while Parliament is sitting.
He has also received grillings from campmates, with Boy George even threatening to leave when Mr Hancock entered the camp.
Campmate Charlene White told Mr Hancock: 'My aunt died from Covid in the first wave. So, we couldn't go to the hospital to go and visit her.
'I had to sit by myself in the church at her funeral.
'We couldn't hug each other because we were following guidance.
'And I get that you fell in love, I understand all of those things, but sorry for a lot of families like mine doesn't really cut it.'
Mr Hancock responded: 'Yeah. Well, there you go. That's one of the reasons that I regret it as much as I do.'
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