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I’m A Celeb: Boy George clashes with ‘slippery’ Matt Hancock in tense showdown

Nov 19 2022
Written by Amelia Hansford

Boy George confronts Matt Hancock about ‘hating on him.’ (ITV)

Tensions between Boy George and Matt Hancock in I’m a Celebrity came to a head after the two had a tense back and forth.

Boy George’s disdain for the former health secretary over his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic boiled over during the Friday (18 November) episode of the ITV reality show.

Speaking to comedian Seann Walsh, Boy George said he believed Hancock was “slimy” and that he has “tried to like him and [has] failed.”

“He’s probably going to be quite upset and I was kicking off a bit,” he said to the Bush Telegraph. “I just thought, ‘you know what, just tell him to his face what you feel.'”

The Karma Chameleon singer, who has had his equal share of critique during this year’s series of I’m a Celebrity, then proceeded to confront Hancock after he joined the conversation.

“I have been hating on you,” he said. “I have to be honest. I sometimes feel like you don’t say what you mean and you’re not particularly direct.

“I’m trying to separate you as a human being and you as a politician, and I’m struggling with it. We don’t share the same politics. I am struggling a little bit with you.”

Boy George then finished by saying that it was “my problem,” and apologising to the MP.

Hancock then replied saying he would prefer the truth and has “enjoyed spending time” with Boy George.

Viewers weren’t exactly jumping to pick sides on the rivalry, with some saying the two were “having a heartfelt discussion about who is the biggest tw*t in the jungle.”

https://twitter.com/JxIMFC/status/1590820163087388673

boy george after he found out he’s doing the trial with matt Hancock #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/cDS923nksF

— Harry Taylor (@harry_taylor32) November 10, 2022

“I hate Boy George but it’s literally Matt Hancock. Sorry, you couldn’t pay me a [penny] to pretend to like him,” another said.

Boy George’s issue with Matt Hancock

The Culture Club singer has constantly made remarks against Hancock since his introduction into the jungle.

During the Wednesday (9 November) episode of the show, he told Scarlette Douglass that his mum was in the hospital due to the pandemic and that Hancock’s decisions during that time have made it difficult to connect with him.

“I thought she was going to die,” he said. “I was tweeting Greenwich hospital going, ‘Please look after my mum.’

“It’s difficult for me because, you know, had something happened, if my mum had gone, I wouldn’t be here now. I would have gone when he walked in,” he added.

Several agreed that Matt Hancock’s inclusion in the show “is disgusting,” with some mentioning their own experiences battling COVID-19.

“Every second of screen time ITV gives to Matt Hancock just trivialises what this country endured during lockdown,” one said. “He has his lockdown book coming out so every second he is on telly monetises his shameful time overseeing our misery.”

There are 200k grieving families in Britain today who lost a loved one to Covid.

Matt Hancock is the health secretary who presided over all those deaths.

Yet this is how he sees fit to conduct himself now – for a £400,000 fee from ITV.

It is so insensitive, disgusting & wrong. pic.twitter.com/Ub465Eg9it— Dr Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) November 12, 2022

But many viewers also criticised Boy George for his vitriol against Hancock considering his past convictions of assault.

“Boy George having an opinion on everyone like he didn’t do prison time for assault“, one user said.