When Matt Hancock entered the I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! jungle, pundits predicted he would be the first to be voted out. His decision to appear on the ITV show, despite his record during the pandemic and the fact he is a sitting MP, had provoked anger and disgust. More than 1,700 people complained to Ofcom, the broadcast regulator, and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group issued a searing statement.
“The fact that he is trying to cash in on his terrible legacy, rather than showing some humility or seeking to reflect on the appalling consequences of his time in government, says it all about the sort of person he is,” a spokesperson said.
But despite the criticism – or perhaps because of it – the former health secretary has won the backing of an unlikely crowd, lasting more than two weeks in the jungle and surviving eight eliminations to make it to the final today.
Support from young TikTok users – boosted by a concerted effort from his PR team – appears to have been key to his on-screen success, according to public relations experts and political rivals.
Over the past few days, before the final on ITV on Sunday evening, members of Hancock’s PR team were lobbying for votes on the app – encouraging people to vote for him repeatedly and giving them step-by-step instructions.
The TikTok campaign is not a breach of the rules: ITV’s website says viewers can vote up to five times each via the app, while those voting by text or phone can vote up to 600 times from a single number before it is deemed suspicious and unfair to the other contestants. But it is a deliberate strategy. Since 8 November, Hancock’s PR team has posted 24 videos of him on the app, all linked to his appearance in the jungle. He now has more than 77,000 followers and at least 511,800 likes across his official TikTok account, while videos of him overall have been watched 400 million times, according to TikTok’s internal data.
Aside from Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner, the equivalent stats for other stars are far poorer. Former rugby player Mike Tindall, who was voted out last night, has less than 3,500 followers, with just over 26,000 likes, while what appears to be the official account for former England footballer Jill Scott, who was tipped as the favourite to win going into the final tonight, has about 2,180 followers and less than 900 likes.
On Twitter and Instagram, the other I’m a Celebrity… contestants admittedly have a bigger presence. But it is TikTok – where videos have been promoted by the algorithm and hashtags such as #matthancockfanclub have gained traction – that has been so crucial for Hancock, said PR guru Mark Borkowski.
“I think TikTok has been quite important to him. I think [users] see him as some sort of anomaly, something that is winding up the older generation, so why don’t we just play mischief?” Borkowski said. He added: “The people instructing him back in Blighty have done a very good job with TikTok. A lot of it is instructing the audience what to do, to use the app, how to vote for Matt. And that bit has been clever.”
That may not, of course, be the only reason for Hancock’s survival in the jungle but it’s one which would go towards explaining how a man responsible for thousands of deaths while making dozens of Tory “VIPs” miillionaires is winning a popularity contest … 
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I’d need a drink after coming out of camp - maybe it’s not well chilled and not very nice? Maybe they prefer to wait to get back to the hotel for a properly chilled glass of their favourite tipple!