WHILE Matt Hancock endures his place in the limelight on I’m A Celebrity, the Tory MP has always enjoyed the showbiz perks of office.
Westminster’s Register of Members’ Financial Interests shows he’s lapped up thousands of pounds of VIP treatment at events to see the likes of Adele, England’s cricket aces and his favourite popstar Ed Sheeran in concert.
Viewers cringed when soon after the 44-year-old entered the jungle he burst out into Ed’s ballad, Perfect.
Hancock told fellow late arrival Seann Walsh his music tastes were “quite mainstream” before an Alan Partridge-style boast: “Love him, yeah… and I’m from Suffolk as well.”
The ex-Health Secretary got to see Ed perform at last year’s Jingle Bell Ball after being gifted free tickets worth £400.
Hancock registered two free tickets to the Brits in February this year – worth a cool £2,040.
Performers on the night included his favourites Adele and Ed Sheeran, as well as Liam Gallagher and Sam Fender.
He also wangled two tickets to see Adele at London’s Hyde Park in July valued at £699.90.
And when it came to sport, he romped home with a host of horseracing handouts – honorary membership of the Club Rooms in Newmarket (£1355.75) and twice accepting two annual badges and car passes for entry to Newmarket Racecourses in 2010 (£760) and 2011 (£790).
Last summer he also trousered four free tickets to England v India ODI that other punters shelled out £340 for.
Two trips to the Hay Festival – an arts and literature event – including “hospitality and accommodation for two nights for myself and my family” in 2010 (£912) and 2013 (£1,072) brings the total amount blagged to £8,369.65.
A spokesman for Matt did not respond to request for comment.
