What’s next for Matt Hancock after his I’m A Celebrity… stint?

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock came third in last night’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! finale, but whilst he’s probably enjoying a hot shower and a takeaway in a fancy Australian hotel, many of us back here in the UK are wondering what he’ll do next.

Hancock, who was the MP for West Suffolk before going on the show, received widespread criticism for his decision to enter the jungle, from both the public and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. There were also questions raised about Hancock’s fee for appearing on the show, particularly from campaigners at the COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group. Contestants on the show itself were also quite put out, and highlighted how Hancock had left his constituency to participate in the reality show more than 10,000 miles away.

The move resulted in Hancock being suspended from the Conservative parliamentary party, with the party’s chief whip, Simon Hart (who is in charge of party discipline), saying: “Following a conversation with Matt Hancock, I have considered the situation and believe this is a matter serious enough to warrant suspension of the whip with immediate effect.”

Although Hancock has remained pretty tight-lipped about where his career will head next, many of his colleagues have spoken out about their feelings on a possible return to Parliament. And, according to Business Secretary Grant Shapps, Hancock’s career in Westminster is “pretty much done”.

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“I do think that his true position should have been in Parliament this last few weeks, and serving his constituents,” Shapps said. “You know, it’s often said that politics is show-business for ugly people. He should be with us uglies back in the House rather than the jungle down under.”

As for whether Hancock should hang up his political coat, Shapps went on: “I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to him about it but I suspect he may have already reached that conclusion. Why would you go off and spend all that time in the jungle if you were going to carry on in Parliament? I’m only speculating.”

Speaking to I’m A Celeb… hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly after his elimination, Hancock recognised that his appearance on the show was “controversial”.

“I know that it was controversial me coming here, I know some people said people in your position shouldn’t put themselves in embarrassing situations,” the MP said. “But we’re all human and we all put ourselves in it.”

He went on, “We [MPs] are normal people.” Elsewhere, Hancock welcomed how his campmates had behaved in a “really grown up way” during “grillings” over his time in office.

So, whilst there’s no official word on what Hancock’s political future looks like, we don’t have to wait much longer until we find out – Tory MPs must decide by 5 December whether they want to stand again in their seat.

Jade Biggs Jade Biggs (she/her) is Cosmopolitan UK’s Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed.