After vowing to show “the real me,” it looks like Matt Hancock’s risky move to go on I’m A Celeb has paid off. The disgraced MP has won over many of his critics with his upbeat nature and commitment to trials, and he’s been by far the most talked-about contestant on the hit ITV show.
In fact, his superhuman ability to collect stars while battling his way through truckloads of bugs has had viewers questioning whether the infamous love cheat had also “cheated” his way through the trials with some seriously sneaky training.
After all it’s been reported that Matt, 44, flew to Australia fresh from filming another, even more demanding reality show – Celebrity SAS – where stars are put through gruelling military training by ex-special forces instructors. The Channel 4 show won’t air until the spring, but it certainly gave Matt a head start, toughening him up for the jungle.
And as well as physical and mental training, it’s been reported that he received guidance from his PR whizz girlfriend Gina Coladangelo, 44, on how to win over viewers. When his fellow campmates grilled him over THAT footage of him fondling Gina at his Whitehall office in supposedly social distanced times, Matt – who was married with three children – said ,“It’s no excuse, but I fell in love,” before adding that he was hoping to find “a little bit of forgiveness”.
Brand and culture expert Nick Ede tells heat there’s no doubt Matt went in completely prepared. “Matt will have been given a lot of PR advice from a team prior to entering the jungle. He will have been rehearsed with question and answer scenarios and how to deflect when needed. There are a few clear indications that he’s had scripting coaching, like with his falling in love story.”
