Ulrika Jonsson admits she finds Matt Hancock endearing

Ulrika Jonsson says she’s warmed up to former Health Secretary Matt Hancock since his appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

The politician, 44, who divided public opinion with his decisions during the coronavirus pandemic, made the controversial choice to appear on the ITV reality show while still working as MP for West Suffolk, setting foot in the Australian jungle as a late entry with comedian Seann Walsh, 36, earlier this month.

And TV presenter, 55, Ulrika spoke out about Matt, who is still on the series, when she attended The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards at The Roundhouse in London on Tuesday.

When asked if she liked Matt, Ulrika told MailOnline, “Yeah, sure, he’s basically an insecure 12-year-old trying to make it out with a very tight-knit group of 20-year-olds, but it’s true.”

Ulrika wasn’t the only star to have some positive words to say about Matt at the event – former I’m A Celebrity winner Harry Redknapp said Matt achieved what he set out to do by getting the viewers’ opinion of him. change .

Former football manager and player Harry, 75, who won the 2018 series of the show, told MailOnline: ‘He’s gone up in people’s ratings a bit. He couldn’t have gone any lower, could he?

“He was at rock bottom so the only way was up and he did.”

It’s because fans of the show seem to have had a dramatic change of heart about Matt, as many now hope he wins.

The politician was hugely criticized when it emerged that he had agreed to become a participant in this year’s series.

But having survived the first three eliminations, many viewers now seem to want the controversial MP, who will reportedly pocket £400,000 for the show, to be crowned King of the Jungle.

His unpopularity at the start of the show was arguably bolstered by him being voted to do six Bushtucker Trials in a row.

But viewers now seem to be taking it easy on the politician.

One fan wrote on Twitter, “Matt Hancock for winning, I love him,” while another added, “Seann, Matt, Jill & Owen for the final 4, I’d be happy if one of them won.”

Several fans simply wrote, “Matt to win” while another said he was “the best.”

Not all viewers are convinced, however, with one writing, “People who say Matt Hancock should win because he’s ‘humble and kind’ should get their heads together.”

Another added, “So weird how Matt Hancock has moved on. I’m a celebrity and suddenly people have forgotten everything he did to this country and actually want him to win because other camp mates are “mean to him.” Is this real? ? You’re kidding please.”

Another viewer said: ‘If Matt Hancock wins I’m a celebrity, I’ll write a complaint email to Ofcom’.

Matt was forced to step down as health secretary last June after CCTV footage showed him in an embrace with his married sweetheart Gina Coladangelo, 44, inside the health ministry during the height of the pandemic.

But speaking on a business podcast in February, he said the relationship started “quite quickly” after legal social distancing restrictions were lifted and replaced with guidance.

On The Diary of a CEO podcast, Matt said he “fell in love” with Coladangelo after bringing her in to his house.

He told podcast host, entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Steven Bartlett, “It actually happened after the rules were lifted, but the guidance was still in place. I resigned because I had broken social distancing guidelines by then.

They weren’t really rules. They were not the law. But that’s not the point.

“The thing is, it was the guidelines I had suggested. And that happened because I fell in love with someone.’

Under the guidance at the time, people had to keep a distance of two meters from everyone outside their household or bubble.

Matt emphasized that his relationship with Miss Coladangelo was serious and said he resented that some had “somehow gotten the impression that this [casual sex]’.

The father-of-three expressed regret over the pain the affair had caused after it led to his 15-year marriage to his wife Martha falling apart to be with Miss Coladangelo – who was also married with three children.