The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article was written by a student author from the chapter “Her Campus at Exeter”.
Like many of us, I enjoy watching shows like I’m A Celeb and Celebrity SAS, which bring together a selection of mostly Z-listers and ex-celebrities to face a series of trials and tribulations. The shows are a lot of fun to watch and a great way to relax from the stress of everyday life.
However, last year both shows featured Matt Hancock, the infamous former Tory MP and cabinet minister. Despite the laughs he provoked from the audience and his fellow candidates, there is something deeply disturbing about the presence of politicians charged with addressing public issues being aired as “celebrities” on such programs.
Following Matt Hancock’s abysmal handling of the coronavirus pandemic as health secretary in the UK and his scandalous affair with his adviser Gina Coladangelo, the public was quick to criticize his flouting of his own rules, and rightly so. However, both I’m A Celebrity and Celebrity SAS have given him positive reception, with clips showing him tackling the challenges without complaint. Similarly, Matt Hancock’s memes reinforce the image of him as a lovable goof who, despite being somewhat useless, does no harm. In summary, this shows how the media, particularly these shows, have given Mr Hancock the opportunity to gain positive public opinion and transform himself into a down-to-earth, funny celebrity. This is most evident in the fact that he made it into the I’m A Celebrity final through public votes, which I suspect is not simply due to a slightly sadistic desire to see him suffer, but rather a genuine affection that the British public has developed.
Through such performances, Matt Hancock has not only gained notoriety and public favor, but he has also made horrendous profits from them. I’m A Celebrity paid £400,000 before tax (source: https://www.itv.com/news/2023-02-14/hancock-was-paid-400000-for-im-a-celebrity-appearance) for his role on the show and he continued to receive his MP salary while on the show, with Celebrity SAS reportedly paying him £45,000. These are numbers that most of us can only dream of over the course of a year, and it feels unfair that he is making such a profit despite his failures during the pandemic and his inability to fulfill his ministerial duties during the shows can .
Crucially, and perhaps most worryingly, Matt Hancock is portrayed on these shows as a “celebrity,” a word that carries associations with entertainment, celebrity and, most importantly, not being someone who is in the government was elected. This blurring of lines between politicians and celebrities is concerning and encourages us to view politicians as sources of entertainment rather than elected officials with public responsibilities. While it’s amusing to see Hancock being ruthlessly questioned and interrogated by other contestants on these shows, I just don’t think primetime television is the place for it; This is not mild celebrity gossip, but political failure that can be examined in a variety of other ways.
I understand that the term “celebrity” in the titles of both series is quite vague, and perhaps I’m being too pedantic in picking it apart. However, I just can’t reconcile the concept of a politician – someone who wants to protect the public’s interests – with the glitz and glamor of a celebrity. Furthermore, Matt’s notoriety has only grown due to his incompetence during the pandemic, and I find it abhorrent that his involvement in these shows allows him to further benefit from it. Politicians should not be a source of public entertainment and I believe that Matt Hancock’s presence on these shows distracts from his political failings and prevents him from being truly held to account when the public increasingly sees him as a regular, albeit outdated, guest He was more of a celebrity than a failed politician unable to do the very job he was hired to do.
Personally I don’t think someone like this should be classed as a ‘celebrity’ and if the world had been told that during lockdowns or when Hancock was exposed for his affair which breached Covid regulations, the public reaction In my opinion, it would have been very different from the warm reception Hancock received following this newfound “celebrity” status.
Given Nigel Farage’s recent addition to the 2023 series of I’m A Celeb, I’m excited (and slightly worried) to see how this plays out and whether his experiences will be similar to Matt Hancock’s.
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