Sunday 27 November 2022 09:59 PM I'm A Celebrity 2022: Matt Hancock says he feels 'so grateful' to make the final trends now

Matt Hancock admitted he felt 'so grateful' to make it to the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! final alongside Owen Warner and Jill Scott in Sunday's series finale.

The former Health Secretary, 44, admitted he was delighted to become a finalist after Mike Tindall was the eighth celebrity to be eliminated from the Aussie jungle.

He said it was 'unreal' and he was 'very grateful' to have made it down to the last three as he joined Hollyoaks star Owen and Lionness Jill in sharing their disbelief.

Speaking in the Bush Telegraph after Mike's exit, Matt gushed: 'I can't believe I'm in the final. It's brilliant… I'm just so grateful.'

Meanwhile, Owen, 23, sweetly said he wanted to speak to his mother Polly as he shared his shock about making it into the final. 

Speaking to camera, he said: 'I'm in the final baby! What is going on? I don't know what to say, I don't know what to think… I want to speak to my mum.'

After waving Mike off, the finalists all shared a group hug as it dawned on them that they had all made it to the end of the 2022 series.

Matt said: 'That is unreal!'

While a shocked Jill, 35, added: 'I need to just sit down.'

In the Bush Telegraph, the former football player admitted she never thought she would make it 'anywhere near' the final after seeing which celebrities were in camp.

'When I first stepped into the jungle and looked around at all of the celebrities, no way am I getting anywhere near that final,' she said.

'To be part of the final three with Owen and Matt, god, it just means the world, it really does.'

The trio all then headed to the Bushtucker Trial clearing for their last challenges, where they were greeted by hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

Matt admitted he was 'delighted' to be in the final, while Jill said she was still 'in shock' as they prepared to take on their last gruelling trials.

Dec said: 'Congratulations on making it to the final.'

A shocked Jill replied: 'Just in shock to be honest. I can't believe we're in the final, I've watched it since being a little kid. I'm still in shock to be honest.'

While Owen said: 'It feels a little bit mad to be honest.'

And Matt added: 'I can't believe it. I'm just delighted. I'm very grateful.'

For the first time in the show's history, the stars will be forced to compete for stars in front of their fellow campmates, which ITV producers hope will add increased tension among the finalists. 

They will each take on a gruesome challenge to win an epic final meal together in camp, consisting of a three-course banquet with a starter, main, and dessert.

But it won't be an easy feat as Jill, Matt and Owen will either take on Flood Your Face, where the unlucky celebrity will have their head in a clear container filled with water and critters, Bushtucker Bonanza, a second instalment of the show's iconic eating trial, or Rat Race, which will see thousands of bugs in a box.

It comes after Mike accused fellow campmate Matt of attempting to sway the public vote by placing his name-printed clothing in shot of the camp cameras.

On Saturday's episode, rugby pro quipped that Matt 'clearly wants to win', while claiming that the Tory MP was 'polling for votes' in a bid to be crowned King Of The Jungle.

Each campmate has their name and voting lines printed on the back of their jackets and T-shirts, with Mike claiming Matt was making these more visible to the cameras.

Talking in the Bush Telegraph, he said: 'Matt's making sure his t-shirt and his phone numbers are on display at all times. Matt clearly wants to win.'

Mike was seen turning the MP's belongings over other way around, adding to the camera: 'I'm taking great pleasure in turning it around every time he leaves camp.'

'Once a politician, always a politician. Always polling for votes,' added the sportsman.

Mike later became the eighth star to be eliminated from I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in Saturday night's episode, ahead of the much-anticipated grand finale.

The former rugby player, 44, was greeted by his wife Zara, the niece of King Charles - the first royal to visit the jungle to greet a departing star - as he left the camp in Australia's Queensland.

Zara had been missing from the ranks of friends and family who arrived in the Gold Coast two weeks ago, but the late Queen's granddaughter had made the 9000-mile trip to support Mike before he missed out on securing a place in the final.