Matt Hancock’s reality TV stint shows how delusions of celebrity have derailed our politics

It’s far easier to get away with breaking the rules when you’re a figure of fun rather than a serious public servant, writes Salma Shah

Matt Hancock and former ‘I’m a Celebrity ... ’ contestant and MP Edwina Currie (Getty/ITV)

Matt Hancock ending up as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! is, let’s be honest, completely predictable. Though, if I’d been forced to take a bet, I might have said Strictly Come Dancing was a better fit for someone with his unstinting self-regard, but who knows? Maybe the BBC, in its wisdom, thought it wouldn’t be politically neutral to put a former Tory health secretary and current MP in sequins, forcing him to saunter around a generously lit TV studio?

No such qualms at ITV, who have a history of prompting the withdrawal of Tory whips thanks to mini-expeditions in the Australian jungle. While we should all take a moment to relish the absurdity of the member for West Suffolk eating animal anus and testicles for entertainment, we should also remember that this is actually a disgrace.

Sure, the memes of CCTV Hancock in a romantic embrace with a witchetty grub are hilarious, but it minimises just how awful this is. Our politicians are already morphing from public figures to celebrities. They render themselves unserious and less accountable when they turn into glossy, perma-tanned versions of themselves. It’s far easier to get away with breaking the rules when you’re a figure of fun rather than a serious public servant.