Kate Garraway blinks back tears as she confronts Hancock over Derek Covid battle
Kate Garraway grilled Matt Hancock on entering the I'm A Celebrity jungle as she lifted the lid on the reaction from those whose families had been impacted by coronavirus.
The Tory MP and former Health Secretary appeared in the ITV studio alongside Kate as well as hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley on Tuesday morning.
The interview came just days after Hancock's eye-watering I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! fee was finally revealed.
The MP appeared on TV screens for 30 days alongside the likes of Mike Tindall, Owen Warner and Queen of the Jungle, Jill Scott and earned £320,000.
Documents published by the Houses of Commons state that Hancock received an eye-watering amount from Lifted Entertainment, ITV, with the fee being registered on January 11, 2023.
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Kate was invited onto the panel to give her perspective on Hancock’s explanation (ITV)Later in the interview, Kate was invited onto the panel to give her perspective on Hancock’s explanation for breaking lockdown rules, as she cares for husband Derek Draper, one of the Brits worst affected by coronavirus.
Derek has been severely unwell since contracting Covid-19 in March 2020, which the GMB presenter has documented in two award-winning ITV documentaries.
She noted that when it was announced he would be flying to Australia to enter the 2023 jungle as the ITV2 reality show returned Down Under, people 'immediately' contacted her.
She continued: “When you talk about the moment you fell in love and you were caught falling in love and whether it was guidelines or legal.
“The problem is that because you were Health Secretary and because at that time I couldn’t visit Derek in hospital, he couldn’t see his kids, thousands of others couldn’t go and see the people they love because they were following the guidelines.
Kate told the MP that he gives the impression he doesn’t understand (ITV)“It was all very muddled for us out here in the world.”
Derek's most recent health scare saw him returned to hospital in October, after he contracted sepsis.
As Hancock sat across the panel nodding, Kate told the Tory that he gives the impression he doesn’t understand why there is such fury directed at him.
“She said: “You still don’t get why people are upset. That amount of money is vast to everybody.
“I’m sure there are many others that went into the jungle when you did and maybe got more or maybe got less.
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Kate noted people 'still feel very raw' (ITV)“But they’re holding you to more account because you’re probably only there because you were Health Secretary, making those decisions.
“You made the decision to go in before you’d answered to an inquiry, at a time when people still feel very raw. I’m not sure people feel comfortable about why you did it.”
Hancock replied: “The reason it’s important that I wrote the book in particular is I have to be completely open about what I did, why I took the decisions I did, so we can learn as much as possible. I feel really strongly about that.”
“If I can contribute anything now to the future of making sure this doesn't happen again, because there will be another one [pandemic] …
“I do not blame the care workers at all. It's a really important point. I didn't want to demoralise care workers at the time. These are all important lessons for the inquiry.”
Hancock reached the final of last year's series of I'm A Celebrity (James Gourley/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)When asked if it's too soon to seek forgiveness from the public, Hancock said: “I think it's natural to seek forgiveness and I think that’s hard for people, and I understand that."
Despite initial backlash after entering the ITV programme, Hancock managed to sail through to the final and came third on the show after completing several Bushtucker Trials.
Mr Hancock reached the final in December - finishing third behind soap star Owen Warner and Queen of the Jungle Jill Scott.
The MP appeared on Good Morning Britain (ITV)Speaking more on his time in the jungle on GMB, he said: “I knew they [the public] were going to vote for me over and over again and then they stopped voting for me to go on the trials, and they voted for me to stay in.
“I’ve had more votes on I’m A Celebrity… than I ever got as a politician in Parliament."
Upon returning home to England, the MP for West Suffolk – who lost the Conservative whip after he agreed to appear on the ITV series - went on to announce that he will not be standing for re-election as an MP in the next general election.
Hancock was asked if he would have done the show for £10 (ITV)Lastly, Hancock was questioned about his future as a public figure and whether he would like to become a host of Good Morning Britain.
He said: “One thing I’d like to do more of is documentaries. I’m not planning on doing anything like that [I’m A Celebrity…] again, that I haven't already been involved with.
“I have been a politician and I am clearly still in the public eye. I’m going to spend 2023 working out what I want to do… [but] no, I'm not going to be applying for your [Richard] job.”
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