Matt Hancock tells I’m A Celeb campmates how the PM moves names around a white board in reshuffles

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has spoken on the latest episode of I’m A Celeb about how the cabinet reshuffles are being implemented by the Prime Minister.

The MP, 44, told media he never expected to serve on the frontbench again when he announced his participation in the ITV reality TV show.

Now Hancock has revealed how the latest changes in government personnel may have been decided by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, following his rival Liz Truss’s short-lived premiership.

Radio presenter Chris Moyles asked Hancock: ‘If you’re an MP and you keep working with your MP, how does that work? Do you get a call saying, “Hello, do you want to be Secretary of Transportation?”

Hancock replied, “I’ll tell you exactly what happens. It’s Reshuffle Day and the first thing the Prime Minister does is call the people he or she is about to fire and invite them to the office in the House of Commons.

“That way the cameras can’t see them coming and going. Eye in eye. These are very sensitive conversations. Then they go into Downing Street and call people in order of seniority.

“They have a whiteboard with all the cabinet functions on it and they go from senior down.

“Sometimes people say, ‘No, I don’t want to be Secretary of Defense, I’d take Transportation,’ and it’s literally a rearrangement because they’re moving names around this whiteboard.”

In the Bush Telegraph, Hancock said, “There’s less noise around the camp and you’re more often with just one or two other people. For example, Chris was really interested in politics and Westminster today and I actually really liked that.’

Moyles asked, “But how many MPs have a fair amount of defense knowledge?”

Hancock said, “It’s not the minister’s job to be the subject matter expert. Of course you have to master the material, but that’s only half the work. There’s a lot of transferable skills – dealing with parliament, communicating with the public, making effective decisions – and then you have subject matter experts advising you on everything.’

Chris said in the Bush Telegraph: ‘I’m starting to think now, to be Secretary of Transportation, all you need is a car. And to be Minister of Health, all you have to do is breathe.’

Chris said: ‘If I were head of Culture and Sports and Digital and then got the call saying, ‘We want you to be in charge of the health of the nations’, I’d say, ‘I can’t do that… There I know nothing about. I know a few doctors, but I think I need a bigger team of advisors.’

Matt said, ‘But you do and that’s what you got. No one is a health care specialist, literally no one. Even the director of the health department.’

Chris told the Bush Telegraph without questioning back: ‘It’s fascinating to talk to him, but he has no interest in me, my life, my work. He’s a funny little fish, don’t you think?’

It was revealed earlier today that Hancock had “broken” the I’m A Celebrity rules by asking Babatunde to message his girlfriend Gina Colangelo as soon as he left the jungle, Richard Arnold claims.

The Good Morning Britain showbiz presenter was eyeing Babatunde Aleshe’s departure from the show as the fifth jungle celebrity voted down under.

But he says that Matt, who said, “Is that what you want to tell Gina?” in giving his farewells, was breaking the rule by sending a message to the outside world.

On Wednesday night’s episode, Ant and Dec went to camp to tell the celebs who would be next to leave.

Dec said, “It’s between Babatunde and Seann. the next person to leave I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here 2022 is… Babatunde. Say hello and we’ll see you across the bridge in a minute.’

As Babatunde hugged the group as he said goodbye to his fellow camp mates of more than two weeks, he and Matt gave each other a strong hug.

Matt tells him, “Oh, you’re so great.” Do you want to tell Gina that?’, and Babatunde says: ‘Yes bro.’

Speaking on his I’m A Celebrity segment on Good Morning Britain on Thursday, Richard said: ‘Eagle-eyed viewers saw Matt Hancock make a potentially rule-breaking request during a goodbye hug.

“Sending a message to the outside world!”

Susanna Reid, seemingly perplexed, asks, “Isn’t that allowed?!”

Richard says, “No. May not send messages to the outside world.’

Co-presenter Ben Shephard added: ‘[Chris] Does Moyles have a hat with a ‘T’ on it for his girlfriend?’

But Richard insists, “Yeah, but that’s not a subliminal message, I suppose. Because I would send up a torch at this point! I mean, it’s been long enough, hasn’t it.

“There it is, Matt Hancock breaking rules.”

Radio presenter Chris Moyles has written a ‘T’ on his camp hat, a nod to his girlfriend Tiffany Austin who recently flew to Australia to welcome her significant other when he emerges from the jungle.