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Matt Hancock’s huge I’m A Celebrity pay cheque revealed

3 November 2022, 08:16 | Updated: 3 November 2022, 08:24

Archive footage shows Matt Hancock as he's set to join I’m A Celebrity 2022

Former health secretary Matt Hancock has been paid almost half a million pounds to appear in I'm A Celeb.

Matt Hancock is reportedly being paid a huge amount for his appearance in I’m A Celebrity.

According to The Sun, the Conservative MP will be handed a cheque worth around £400,000 to take part in the ITV series.

A source told the publication: “Matt’s pay deal with I’m A Celebrity is around £400,000 which is one of the largest ever show fees to have been paid out.

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“ITV were keen for viewers to think the deal was worth around £150,000 but in reality it’s over double that.

Matt Hancock has joined I'm A Celebrity. Picture: Alamy

“They asked him to be on the show three times in a matter of weeks and the money definitely helped seal the deal.”

The 44-year-old has since said he will make a donation to charity and declare how much he has earned to Parliament.

A spokesperson for Matt said: “Matt will be making a donation to St Nicholas Hospice in Suffolk and causes supporting dyslexia off the back of his appearance.

“He will also declare the amount he receives from the show to Parliament to ensure complete transparency, as normal.”

Matt landed in Brisbane on Tuesday night and is now in quarantine on the Gold Coast ahead of the show starting on Sunday evening.

The full I'm A Celebrity line up 2022. Picture: ITV

He is set to join the likes of Boy George, royal Mike Tindall and Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver in the Australian jungle.

But viewers will have to wait a little while longer to see him on their screens, as he signed up as a late arrival.

This means he’ll be joining comedian and ex Strictly Come Dancing contestant Seann Walsh at the end of next week.

Opening up about his decision to join the show, Matt wrote in The Sun that it wasn’t driven by money, but to help promote his campaign about dyslexia, a condition he was diagnosed with after leaving school.

He said: “Reality TV is a very different way to communicate with the electorate — it’s both honest and unfiltered.

“I want to use this incredible platform to raise awareness, so no child leaves primary school not knowing if they have dyslexia.”