After two weeks within the jungle, Matt Hancock has finally spoken about his dyslexia.
The former health secretary created quite the commotion with his I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! signing since he arrived in camp.
His appearance has not been without criticism, as angry viewers at home initially voted for him to do every trial, and later fuming that he wasn’t using the opportunity for the reason he promised.
Ahead of his jungle stint, the former Health Secretary had vowed to use it as an opportunity to raise awareness of dyslexia.
He expressed his desire to talk about his Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill, but it wasn’t until the final week when he finally mentioned his condition.
In conversation with comedians Seann Walsh and Babatunde Aleshe, he discussed his school days and how he struggled with English.
‘I desperately wanted to learn. One side on maths I could and on English I couldn’t’, he shared.
Seann asked: ‘Are you talking about reading specifically?’
Hancock replied: ‘Yeah. And then the moment I was identified as dyslexic at university suddenly instead of feeling I was just rubbish at something and useless, it was ahhhh… so actually I am ok with language, it’s just my brain works differently and I can work on that.’
The conversation didn’t go unnoticed by viewers, who were quick to point out Hancock’s first mention of his condition.
‘Matt finally mentions dyslexia. 2 weeks in, after going into the jungle to raise awareness of dyslexia’, one tweeted.
‘And there is it.. the ‘whole point’ he went into the jungle, to raise awareness for dyslexia. Whole 5 seconds of it..’, wrote another.
One person who previously called out Hancock, 44, for failing to mention his dyslexia is Charlotte Kirk, an actress best known for her role in Ocean’s 8.
She revealed on Instagram that she also has Dyslexia and had hopes that Hancock would shine a light on the reality of it.
‘I’m dyslexic and I posted that on my Instagram Stories the other day,’ she told the Mirror earlier than furiously including: ‘I feel it’s shameful on him, shameful.’
Twitter customers additionally weren’t impressed, with one tweeting: ‘So what I discover actually attention-grabbing is that Hancock mentioned he was on #ImACelebrity to spotlight dyslexia. I’ve watched each single episode and he has not uttered a phrase. What a liar.’
‘I’ve not heard Matt Hancock discuss a lot about his dyslexia… appears the notice marketing campaign has taken a again seat!’, wrote one other.
One I’m A Celeb fan additionally went all out with the sarcasm, tweeting: ‘A thread about the whole lot I’ve discovered so removed from Matt Hancock about dyslexia whereas he’s been on I’m A Celeb…’, and, you guessed it, there have been no tweets within the thread.
Some famous faces have also called out the ‘irony’ of it all, with comedian Rosie Jones tweeting ahead of this year’s I’m A Celeb: ‘Hancock wants to go into I’m A Celeb to, “raise awareness” of dyslexia. The man was health secretary during a pandemic, where thousands of people with disabilities lost their lives. But now he can make a difference, by eating beans from a tin in a jungle.’
Of course, the ITV show is typically edited to last for one hour each night, so there’s every chance a discussion on dyslexia could’ve happened in unaired scenes – but Hancock has never given it as a reason when quizzed by fellow stars on his reasons for joining the show.
Hancock beforehand wrote for Metro.co.uk that discovering out he was dyslexic ‘modified my life’ on the age of 18.
He mentioned he was ‘fearful’ that his situation would hinder him throughout Covid briefings and requested for assist previous to showing on TV so he knew how one can pronounce ‘difficult phrases’.
‘It was moments like this that made me realise I needed to do one thing to assist others struggling with the identical difficulties. So, final December, I launched my dyslexia marketing campaign for common screening in main faculties in England. Which means no youngster leaves faculty not figuring out in the event that they’re dyslexic’, he wrote.
He went on to say he was ‘struck’ by the variety of individuals writing to him to share their tales about dwelling with dyslexia.
I’m A Celeb… Get Me Out Of Right here! continues tonight at 9pm on ITV.
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