Dancing on Ice 2023: fans change the channel in rage after Matt Hancock makes appearance on ITV show

Dancing on Ice fans were left disappointed with the show after Matt Hancock made an appearance as a guest on the figure skating programme.

The former health secretary, 44, appeared alongside his girlfriend Gina Coldangelo on Sunday night’s episode of the ITV competition.

Viewers of the show took to social media to share their “disgust” at the disgraced Tory MP’s presence, with many switching off from the programme.

Dancing on Ice’s theme for Week four of the show was Dance Week, with programme host Holly Willoughby asking Matt: “What song would have to be played to get you going?”

Matt replied: “Well I dance to almost anything; it’s more enthusiasm than talent though. A bit of Queen, a bit of Don’t Stop Me Now, that might get me going.”

Holly further asked the MP: “Would you ever pop on a sequin and get on our ice?”

Matt Hancock, who finished third on last year’s I’m A Celebrity, said: “I think I could do with dressing up a bit. This is so hard; eating cockroaches is nothing compared to how difficult this is.”

Many unhappy viewers took to Twitter to share their disappointment in the former health secretary making an appearance on the show.

One user said: “I don’t want to be unkind, but I think @ITV @dancingonice are giving far too much airtime to Mr Crocodile Tears @MattHancock. He’s a politician not a celebrity, whatever he thinks/wants to turn himself into. Too soon, way too soon. Have they forgotten already? I haven’t.”

Another said: “Well, @dancingonice I’ve just switched off as soon as @MattHancock has shown his ugly mug .Get him off the tv . Disgusting human being. I’m not going to watch it again . Feel sick.”

A twitter user revealed they were turning off from the show, saying: “The second you put Matt Hancock in the audience & give him a platform… I’m already watching something else. No. Just no @itvstudios @dancingonice”

People accused Matt Hancock of being “fame-hungry”’ and many were quick to raise reminders of the former health secretary’s role in the Covid pandemic.

The former Tory MP made an appearance last week on Good Morning Britain, where hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley grilled him about his I’m A Celebrity appearance.

His appearance followed the announcement that Matt had given just three per cent of his £330,000 I’m A Celebrity appearance fee to charity.

Host Susanna Reid asked the MP why he’d made a u-turn on his promise to donate the full amount.

Susanna pressed the politician, asking Matt: “You gave £10,000 out of £330,000, why not give all of it to charity?” Matt told the morning show hosts: "I gave a substantial amount. I think it’s still decent and the money I donated is more than my MP salary".

Unhappy with his response to her question, Susanna then asked: "Couldn’t they have benefitted from more of your fee rather than £10,000 out of a quarter of a million?".

Susanna also asked the former health secretary whether he had broken his own Covid guidelines when he was in his role.

Matt said: “It doesn’t feel like I got away with it Susanna, of course it wasn’t breaking the law because the legal rules weren’t in place. That’s why I wasn’t fined.”

Susanna then stepped in saying: “But there was a ban on gathering indoors? Did you receive a fine?” and Matt responded with “No because what I did wasn’t against the law, but I did break the guidelines and I resigned, and I did take accountability.”

Matt Hancock was forced to resign as health secretary after he was caught kissing his then adviser Gina Coladangelo despite his own Covid regulations.