Boy George hits back at claims he 'bullied' Matt Hancock

There’s certainly been some rising tension in the jungle this year.

But it turns out that Boy George has assured I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! viewers that there is no animosity between himself and the politician.

The singer, 61, was the fourth contestant to be voted out of the ITV series, following along from Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver, A Place in the Sun’s Scarlette Douglas and Charlene White, who is perhaps best known for Loose Women.

Audience viewers will recall the tears that ensued when Hancock arrived days after the main cohort along with comedian Seann Walsh, which led Boy George, born George Alan O'Dowd, to consider leaving the show after revealing his mum was hospitalised during the pandemic.

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Of course, Hancock stepped down from his role as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care after breaking social distancing rules during the peak of the pandemic when he had a highly-publicised affair with his colleague Gina Coladangelo.

With this in mind, George confronted Hancock and explained to him face-to-face that he was struggling to differentiate between his time as a politician and as a contestant in the jungle.

He said: “That’s not your problem, that’s my problem. I apologise because I was really sl**ging you off a minute ago.”

Taking to Twitter after his return from the jungle, he wrote in response to a fan question: “Not everything is broadcast! I said plenty but in the end, I did not want to bully Matt.

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“He will not complain about me because I behaved like an adult. There is zero issue between us. That might disappoint some but I have no regrets about anything. I’m not five years old!”

One fan tweeted George, reflecting on some of the negative media perception of the singer.

The fan wrote in the tweet: “What a fantastic attitude, some of the headlines have been vile about you , Chris and Sue, apparently you are all bullies because you asked the MP awkward questions.”

To this, he responded: “I think @MattHancock will say otherwise and many will have Ostrich Egg on their faces. I treated him with absolute respect. I said what I needed to say and I made some fun digs but there was zero awkwardness. He appreciated my directness.”

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV1.