COVID campaigners flew a banner above the ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ camp in Australia this week, telling former Health Secretary Matt Hancock to “get out”.
The banner was flown above the ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ camp telling Matt Hancock to “get out” of the jungle.
Campaign group 38 Degrees have claimed responsibility for the message, which read “Covid Bereaved say get out of here”, after the former Health Secretary’s appearance in the jungle – for which he was suspended by the Conservative Party – sparked a huge backlash.
The message was on behalf of campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK.
Lobby Akinnola – who lost his father to coronavirus – of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said in a statement: “Matt Hancock isn’t a ‘celebrity’, he’s the former Health Secretary who oversaw the UK having one of the highest death tolls in the world from Covid-19 whilst breaking his own lockdown rules.”
Matthew McGregor, chief executive of 38 Degrees, said: “No-one has forgotten how Matt Hancock conducted himself during the Covid-19 pandemic: not the general public, not his campmates, and certainly not those who lost loved ones.
“Our message emblazoned across the skies makes crystal clear to Matt Hancock: you should be representing the people of West Suffolk and giving Covid Bereaved Families the answers they deserve, rather than playing games for dingo dollars, plastic stars and a reported £400,000 pay check.”
Matt previously came under fire for breaking his own social distancing guidance amid the coronavirus pandemic when he was caught kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo, who is now his girlfriend. As a result, he later resigned as Health Secretary.
Gina was spotted at London’s Heathrow airport on Tuesday evening before making her way to Brisbane to support Matt and meet him when he comes out of the jungle.
Last week on the show, Matt insisted he seeks “forgiveness”.
He said: “No I did not break any lockdown rules. I didn’t break any law! Guidance is guidance but it was my guidance, that’s why … it was a mistake because I fell in love with somebody. It’s true.
“In a way, lots of the campmates ask questions that the public has got as well so it’s only respectful to give straight and truthful answers. That’s why I’m apologising for it.
“It’s bigger than just a sorry. Well, there you go and that’s one of the reasons that I regret it as much as I do.
“The pandemic as a whole, I’m much more robust in my defence of it. PPE for instance, of course, I saw what happened too but that’s because we needed masses more PPE and so did everybody else in the world. There’s reasons so much was taken. And ultimately, those problems were caused by the virus and not the people who were trying to solve the problem.
“What I’m really looking for is a bit of forgiveness. That’s what I’m really looking for. We all make mistakes. I made a pretty big one.”
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! airs nightly at 9pm on ITV1 – catch up on the ITV Hub.
