Former I’m a Celeb star tells Matt Hancock how to survive the jungle as he warns the MP – beware the bull’s testicles

In many ways Parliament is like a jungle – full of poisonous rivals and potentially fatal dangers lurking behind every corner. So in some ways Matt Hancock will feel right at home on I’m a Celeb…

But living in a campsite with strangers and having to endure the infamous Bushtucker trials is no walk in the park. 

Being locked in a coffin full of snakes as they slither up every nook and cranny of your body is not for the faint-hearted. How do you know a poisonous Black Mamba hasn’t accidentally been slipped in which could snuff you out with just two drops of its poisonous venom?

So Matt, as you prepare to head Down Under, here are my tips for surviving the jungle:

First, be in no doubt – the people will want to see you suffer! You must embrace Bushtucker Trials. 

Catholics say redemption comes through suffering – by the time you are finished in the jungle you will be a saint.

The trickiest Bushtucker I did was one where I had to pick bulls testicles out of a bucket using my mouth and pass them on to my teammate, the comedian Iain Lee.

I’m not sure if you are familiar with bull’s testicles but they are large, juicy and very, very salty.

I didn’t have any problem with a bull’s testicle – after all, what’s a testicle between friends?

But I had a problem with bringing my face containing this massive, dangling testicle right up to Iain’s because he had an enormous beard.

Every time I went to pass it I was totally enveloped in Iain’s beard! It was messy.

Second – pick your luxury item carefully.

My fellow campmates asked for letters from their wives, or some tasty chocolate to snack on. But I picked a lilo. It was fantastic.

I spent many happy hours in a quiet corner of the jungle dozing on the inflatable mattress while my campmates nursed sore backs after spending weeks sleeping in a hammock. 

Although disaster struck when I stood near the campfire with my lilo one day and it popped!

Third – the jungle can do wonders for your waistline. 

I lost 3 stone – going down to 12 stone 1 pound, and have managed to keep it off ever since. Although Matt is already pretty trim.

But the most important tip is to have fun and make great friends. 

I was with some fantastic people – WAG Rebekah Vardy, the boxer Amir Khan, the Made In Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo. I met people I would never normally meet.

Despite the critters, Bushtucker trials and sleep deprived nights it was sheer fun. 

So good luck Matt, it will be a blast, well done on using it to raise awareness of good causes and the issue of dyslexia. And who knows, perhaps you will pick up some tips to help you survive the Westminster jungle when you get back home?