Nigel Farage has strongly rejected comparisons between himself and Matt Hancock, despite both being controversial right-leaning politicians who finished third on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!. The former UKIP leader, who reportedly received £1.5 million to appear on the 2023 series, made his feelings clear during his first post-jungle interview on Good Morning Britain.
'The idea that I could be compared to Matt Hancock on any level I find difficult to deal with,' Farage told hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls. He then took aim at Hancock's record during the pandemic, saying: 'He was part of a government that locked us down three times and did our country enormous damage – and so no, I do not bear comparison with Matt Hancock, other than third place.'
The interview also saw Farage questioned about his political ambitions, including whether he would rejoin the Conservatives to become an MP. Despite seven failed attempts to enter the House of Commons, Farage countered that he had won two elections and led two parties 'something nobody in history had ever done before'.
When Ed Balls faux-apologised for 'the Matt Hancock thing', and Susanna Reid noted it was 'only stating facts', Farage fired back by attacking the Conservative government. He described Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as 'a lame duck walking' and predicted 'total defeat' for the party.
Regarding his own political future, Farage said: 'I have no idea at this moment in time, but what I would say is never say never and our country needs, actually, people at the top with some firm guidance.' He suggested the current Conservative leadership was the main barrier to him rejoining the party.
