All the MPs and politicians who have been on I’m a Celeb, and what they did in the jungle

He’s just left the jungle after, somehow, coming third – but Matt Hancock isn’t the only MP to ever appear on I’m a Celebrity. There are actually a whole load of politicians who have been on the show before, from Nadine Dorries doing an eating trial with Helen from Corrie to Stanley Johnson becoming unlikely mates with Georgia Toffolo from MiC.

Here are all the MPs and politicians who have appeared on I’m a Celeb, and what they did during their times in the jungle:

Matt Hancock

Let’s start with the obvious. Unfortunately for us all, disgraced former Tory health secretary Matt Hancock was in the I’m a Celebrity 2022 jungle, complete with awful renditions of Ed Sheeran and his apparent trench foot.

He had to do so many Bushtucker trials, including eating camel penis and cow’s anus. Matt Hancock ended up, somehow, coming in third place overall, and it has made me hate the Great British public with my whole heart.

He had the Tory whip suspended after it emerged he would be appearing on the show, with Andy Drummond, the deputy chair of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, saying: “I’m looking forward to him eating a kangaroo’s penis. You can quote me on that.”

Nadine Dorries

Nadine Dorries appeared on I’m a Celeb in 2012, having been an MP since 2005. She was the first serving MP to appear on the show, and appeared alongside Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts, boxer David Haye, Hugo Taylor from Made in Chelsea, and Linda Robson from Loose Women. Dorries’ I’m a Celebrity entrance video featured some very 2012 sunglasses, and she ended up being in the jungle for 12 days after being the first celeb to be voted out.

Whilst on the show, Nadine Dorries had to eat ostrich anus, a camel’s toe, and testicles in a Bushtucker trial. In the same trial she failed to eat a fermented egg, spitting it out and saying she was going to vomit.

Another trial called Bug Burial saw Dorries trying to stay in a locked coffin, filled with jungle creatures, for 10 minutes underground alongside Helen Flanagan from Corrie. Helen only lasted a few seconds and Dorries lasted four minutes, meaning they didn’t win any food for the camp.

When she left, she told Ant and Dec: “I actually came here self-important for a few days – but I’m not now. I needed that missile and I think all MPs need that. I came from a council estate and never thought I was like that, but I was. I’m not now.”

Like Matt Hancock now, at the time the Conservative party temporarily suspended the whip from Dorries over her going to the Australian jungle, although she argued MPs “should be” taking part to reach the show’s large audience. She was also forced to apologise in 2013 for not declaring the fees she’d received for appearing on the show.

Edwina Currie

Former Tory politician Edwina Currie, who was an MP from 1983-1997, appeared on I’m a Celebrity in 2014 alongside Gemma Collins, Tinchy Stryder, and Jake Quickenden.

Edwina managed to come fourth overall in the series and only had to do a couple of Bushtucker trials. On the show, Edwina had a series of big arguments with Kendra Wilkinson, an American TV personality and model.

Edwina said she took part in I’m a Celebrity for money and claimed that her almost £100k earnings from the show weren’t enough. She said: “Whenever anyone asks me that, I say there is only one answer: money. That is why you do it. But they did not pay me enough – I reckon I was worth twice as much.

“In three weeks I earned close to £100,000. But if you really do not like bugs, there is no money that can make it worthwhile.”

Stanley Johnson

Stanley is a former Tory politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP), as well as being the father of former prime minister Boris Johnson and former Tory MP (and current member of the House of Lords) Jo Johnson.

He came seventh on I’m a Celebrity 2017, appearing alongside MiC’s Georgia Toffolo, boxer Amir Khan, WAG Rebekah Vardy, and YouTuber Jack Maynard, who withdrew so that he could “defend” himself after a series of old tweets emerged, and later apologised. At 82 years old, at the time Stanley was the oldest I’m a Celebrity campmate ever.

Stanley and Georgia Toffolo ended up forging an unlikely friendship in the jungle and have even gone on to appear on other TV shows, including Celebrity Gogglebox and Celebrity Hunted, together.

Kezia Dugdale

Kezia Dugdale was the leader of the Scottish Labour party from 2015-17 and a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) from 2011-2019. She went on I’m a Celebrity in 2017, the same year as Stanley Johnson.

At the time, it was reported that she was not given permission to join the show, according to Richard Leonard who was her successor as Scottish Labour leader. However, the party announced she would not be suspended for the “unauthorised leave of absence”. When she returned to Scotland from Australia she went straight to meet party bosses, and was given a written warning but faced no further disciplinary action. She pledged to donate a portion of her fee to charity, as well as donating her MSP’s salary for the duration of her appearance on the show.

Kezia was the second person to be voted out in her series. After she left she called her appearance a “political gamble” and said she would take criticism “face on”: “I came out here to do what I wanted to do. I love my job, it’s a great privilege to be a Labour politician and I fully intend on continuing to do it for a very long time.”

She said she wanted to use her appearance on the show to talk about the things she cares about, and “to take on the myth that every politician looks like Stanley – old, white, male, pale and stale. I wanted to show that there is a variety of people out there.”

Lembit Opik

Lembit Opik was a Lib Dem MP from 1997 until he lost his seat in the 2010 general election. Just a few months later, he was in the I’m a Celebrity 2010 jungle alongside Stacey Solomon and Alison Hammond. What a lineup. Opik’s I’m a Celeb entrance had a soundtrack of the Cheeky Song by The Cheeky Girls, and he was the third to be voted out, coming 11th.

Opik has recently supported Matt Hancock going into the jungle despite still being an MP, saying that even if he hadn’t lost his seat in the 2010 election Lembit “would have gone into that jungle” and “wouldn’t have had any qualms about it at all”.

He said: “I think we’ve got into a right disintegration here. If this wasn’t on TV, we wouldn’t be talking about it. If he’d gone on a quiet fishing holiday to Scotland, people might have said this is a good staycation.”

Robert Kilroy-Silk

Robert Kilroy-Silk was a Labour MP in the 1970s and 80s, and a MEP from 2004-2009. He went on to appear on I’m a Celebrity in 2008.

His fellow campmates included Joe Swash and Simon Webbe from Blue. Robert was the first of his series to be voted out, lasting just 12 days and doing a handful of Bushtucker trials.

Featured image via ITV

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Um so ahead of his I’m a Celeb appearance, apparently Matt Hancock has trench foot

• Ranked: These are officially the highest paid I’m A Celeb stars of all time

• Just 21 memes about Matt Hancock’s I’m A Celeb intro for you to sink your teeth into