And you wouldn’t believe it, but people are actually starting to like him. When he walked in the camp he was met with hostility by the likes of Chris Moyles and Boy George, but now many camp members are accepting his attempts of his “search for forgiveness”, with many viewers finding his personality to be likeable. Yet, behind this fantastic PR move, there are profound issues with involvement in the show.
A glaringly obvious issue is his abandonment of his constituents, as Hancock has flown to Australia for a month while parliament is in session. Hancock has ‘lost the whip’ from the Conservative Party, essentially meaning he is expelled from the party and has to sit as an independent in the House of Commons. His constituents in West Suffolk, approximately 180,000 people, have been abandoned by the man that is supposed to be standing up for them in parliament. What if something drastic happens while he is gone?
Hancock was captured on the show explaining that “I genuinely think that because we’ve now got sort of stability that … Rishi’s great, he’ll be fine”. I’m not sure I’d call three Prime Ministers in four months ‘stability’, Matt. Considering the taxpayer funds Hancock’s salary as an MP, it’s clear that it is wildly inappropriate for Hancock to be frolicking off Down Under at taxpayers’ expense. When the public vote for their MP, they are putting a level of trust in this person to uphold their democratic rights, standard of living and political beliefs: Hancock has completely violated this trust.
The lack of responsibility from Hancock is unbelievable; it goes without saying that it feels like a kick in the teeth to watch a man who was kissing in his office, breaking social distancing guidance whilst many people had to experience loved ones dying from far away.
Considering the taxpayer funds Hancock’s salary as an MP, it’s clear that it is wildly inappropriate for Hancock to be frolicking off Down Under at taxpayers’ expense
But the worst thing that Hancock has done is the damage to his children and ex-wife; he went onto national TV and openly admitted details about his affair, saying “I fell in love” as an excuse. It is already hard enough to experience your parents getting a divorce at such a young age (his three children are 15, 13 and 7). Now they have to deal with the humiliation and hurt of watching their dad publicly announce he doesn’t love their mother? It is just cruel. Hancock is at the centre of degradation on the show after being voted for so many trials, with current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying he was “disappointed” at Hancock’s decision to degrade himself on national TV. I can’t say I’d be too happy with my dad for telling the nation he didn’t love my mum, and then proceed to get covered in cockroaches and rats while everyone is laughing at him.