The National Television Awards get underway tomorrow night.
ITV bosses are reportedly worried that any win for ‘I’m A Celeb’ on Tuesday night (September 5th) would be overshadowed by boos for Matt Hancock.
The former politician, 44, took part in the last series of the reality show following his resignation from cabinet for breaching social distancing rules set by him during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the ex-health secretary has been invited to the O2 for the ceremony, he has not confirmed if he will attend.
‘I’m A Celeb’ has won the Bruce Forysth Entertainment Award for the past four years, and the cast is usually invited on stage to accept their award.
However, a source has told The Sun that ITV bosses are worried Hancock’s presence will cast a negative light on any potential celebrations.
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“They don’t want that glorious moment on stage to be affected by anything negative, but they also know the strength of feeling against Matt.
“They realise there’s not a great deal they can do to control the crowd of up to 20,000 people.”
The source then said this fear comes from the reactions of both viewers and campmates to last year’s series of the show.
“Anyone who saw I’m a Celebrity last year and the reaction he sparked among campmates will see that he still has the power to divide more than two years after he was forced to quit Cabinet.”
Hancock struggled to win the trust of Boy George while on the show but ultimately finished in a respectable third place behind Hollyoaks’ Owen Warner and Lioness Champion Jill Scott.
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