Matt Hancock 'approached to appear on Celebrity SAS Who Dares Wins'

Matt Hancock has been approached to appear on the next series of ‘Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins’.

The former Health Secretary could be the first sitting MP to take part in the star-studded military endurance Channel 4 show, which is currently airing and featuring a diverse array of contestants, such as Olympic javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread, actress Jennifer Ellison and television personality Amber Gill.

The 43-year-old Conservative politician is said to have met with producers earlier this month and could use the opportunity to reshake his image after he was caught kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when social distancing guidance was in place.

An insider told The Sun newspaper: “Matt impressed 'Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins' producers when he spoke to them and they want him to take part.

“He would be the biggest name to have signed up for the next series and it would be a real coup for the show.

“Matt knows there is a mixed perception of him in the public eye and he thinks going on the show would reveal a different side to himself.

“It is not unusual for MPs to take part in these kinds of shows and Matt thinks he could go far on SAS, despite it being the hardest of all the reality series on television.”

A spokesperson for the parliamentary representative for West Suffolk claimed he hadn’t “signed up for anything”.

They told the publication: "Matt gets a huge number of offers and is asked to appear on TV shows all the time but he has not signed up to anything."

When he served in Cabinet in his ex position, Matt - who would be whipped into shape by host Rudy Reyes and others if he did join the army reality show - emphasised the importance of exercise in creating a healthy society.

He said: “One of the reasons we’ve had such a bad time of COVID is that we’re one of the fattest countries in Europe and we need to tackle that.

“The way to do that is supporting people and motivating people to do what’s right for them and what’s right by the NHS. It’s a call to action, a national effort that we need.”