Ed Balls: It’s the ‘wrong time’ for Matt Hancock to enter I’m A Celebrity jungle

Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls has said he thinks Matt Hancock is ‘totally crackers’ to be taking part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!The MP was suspended from the parliamentary Conservative Party on Tuesday after he was revealed as a surprise extra name added to the list of contenders for the ITV reality show.Mr Balls said he is worried it could be a misjudgment from the former health secretary.He said: ‘Personally, I think good luck to him. But I think he is totally crackers to do this.’Because I think it’s the wrong place to do it from, the wrong time and the wrong programme. To do it as a sitting MP just brings all these questions.’He’s lost the whip, Sunak the Prime Minister is clearly furious, his constituents are going to be up in arms. He’s been paid to do this while he’s also going to the jungle.’I mean, look, to be fair, Boris Johnson was on a Caribbean beach two weeks ago and he’s a sitting MP. But you know, this is a different thing.’Secondly, this is the guy who was the health secretary during the pandemic, we have not had the inquiry yet.’And therefore, it just brings back for so many people so much pain and suffering and it’s not something that you can make light of, until we’ve gone through that inquiry process.’Mr Balls, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, compared the BBC dancing contest to the ITV reality TV show – which starts on Sunday.’And then finally, Strictly, nice, warm, fun programme. I’m A Celebrity is tough. And you know, the other contestants will be you know, I think supportive,’ he said.’And if he gets the tokens and brings in the food, then he’ll be popular. But, you know, I mean, to eat an ostrich anus, live on television, while still a sitting MP and then ask the public do you want to see me do it again?’I think they might want to see him do it. … I just worry for him that, wrong programme, wrong timing, wrong place to do it from, shouldn’t be doing it, but you know, it’s gonna be fun, isn’t it? We’re looking forward to it.’Meanwhile the West Suffolk MP is facing questions over whether he broke rules on seeking permission over jobs taken within two years of leaving office.Mr Hancock did not seek advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) before agreeing to the appearance, the PA news agency understands.Lord Pickles, the Conservative chairman of the anti-corruption watchdog, which advises on post-ministerial jobs, is expected to write to Mr Hancock to demand clarification.Under the rules, Mr Hancock should seek clearance from Acoba for any new employment or appointments he takes on until next June.Mr Hancock was forced to quit as health secretary in June 2021 after breaking coronavirus social distancing rules by having an affair in his ministerial office with aide Gina Coladangelo.The House of Commons is in recess from November 10-14 but celebrities could spend up to three weeks in the jungle – meaning Mr Hancock would miss significant Commons business, including the Autumn Statement on November 17, if he remains in the contest.