When Matt Hancock arrived in the Get Me Out of Here! jungle, experts anticipated that he would be the first person eliminated.
His choice to appear on the ITV programme, despite his record during the pandemic and the fact that he is a sitting MP, had aroused resentment and scorn. The television regulator Ofcom received complaints from more than 1,700 people, and the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group released a scathing statement.
According to a spokeswoman, “the fact that he is trying to cash in on his dreadful legacy, rather than exhibiting some humility or seeking to reflect on the appalling repercussions of his time in government, tells it all about the sort of guy he is.”
However, despite the criticism – or possibly because of it – the former health secretary has won the backing of an unlikely crowd, lasting more than two weeks in the jungle and surviving eight eliminations to make it to the final today.
Public relations professionals and political competitors claim that the support of youthful TikTok users, aided by a coordinated effort by his PR team, appears to have been crucial to his on-screen success.
Members of Hancock’s public relations team have been pleading for votes on the app over the past few days, before the final on ITV on Sunday night. They have constantly urged people to vote for him and have provided them with step-by-step instructions.Â
One video stated that the goal of “team Matt” was to “keep Matt in the jungle.”
The I’m a Celebrity… app should be downloaded, it continued.
Call the voting number, or cast five votes.
One TikTokker replied, “Always spend all my votes to keep Matt in!”
Another video showed someone swiping through the app on their phone and continuously voting for Hancock. It was labelled as a “step by step instruction to keep Matt in the jungle.”
The TikTok campaign is not in violation of the rules, according to ITV’s website, which also notes that those using the app can vote up to five times per person, while those using text messages or phones can vote up to 600 times from a single number before it is deemed suspicious and unfair to the other competitors.
But it is a calculated move.
Hancock’s PR team has uploaded 24 videos of him to the app since November 8th, all of which are related to his appearance in the jungle.
According to internal data from TikTok, he currently has more than 77,000 followers and at least 511,800 likes on his official TikTok account. His videos have also had 400 million views total.
Pressure is being kept up by Hancock’s promotion on TikTok.
The comparable statistics for other celebs, except from Hollyoaks actor Owen Warner, are much worse.
Mike Tindall, a former rugby player, was eliminated last night and has less than 3,500 followers and just over 26,000 likes, while Jill Scott, a former England footballer, who was considered the favourite to win going into tonight’s final, has about 2,180 followers and less than 900 likes on what appears to be her official account.
The other I’m a Celebrity… competitors undoubtedly have a stronger online presence.
But TikTok, where videos have been algorithmically boosted and hashtags like #matthancockfanclub have gathered steam, has been especially important for Hancock, according to PR guru Mark Borkowski.
I believe TikTok has played a significant role in his life.
Why don’t we just cause trouble? I believe that [users] perceive him as some sort of abnormality, something that is irritating the elder
generation stated Borkowski.
The guys guiding him in Blighty have done an excellent job with TikTok, he continued.
The audience is given instructions on how to use the app, vote for Matt, and complete other tasks frequently.
And that was a clever move.
Hancock has received a majority of unfavourable remarks, according to tools Borkowski’s staff uses to monitor media coverage.
The West Suffolk MP oversaw the improper discharge of hospital patients into nursing homes while he was health secretary and was responsible for many other incompetent and nihilistic behaviours and yet some of the UK public have yet again revealed their ignorant vile side.
Shameful days!
Penny Lane
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