'It was the very worst conversation of my life': Matt Hancock on telling his ... trends now
Matt Hancock today reveals the depths of his anguish over the affair which ended his marriage, describing the moment when he told his wife as the 'very worst conversation of my life'.
In his explosive pandemic diaries, serialised in today's Mail on Sunday and The Mail+, the former Health Secretary describes his 'terrible black dread' at the prospect of his affair with Gina Coladangelo being revealed, and recounts the 'devastating implications of our feelings for each other'.
The Tory MP, who won plaudits - and brickbats - for his recent performance in ITV's I'm a Celebrity.....Get Me Out of Here!', also writes about how then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the 'kindest of confidants' throughout the drama, and even filmed Mr Hancock's resignation statement on his wobbly mobile phone.
Matt Hancock today reveals the depths of his anguish over the affair which ended his marriage, describing the moment when he told his wife (pictured together) as the 'very worst conversation of my life'
Matt Hancock and Gina Coladangelo returning to their hotel to meet waiting family and fans after his eviction from I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Mr Hancock also writes about how then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson was the 'kindest of confidants' throughout the drama, and even filmed Mr Hancock's resignation statement on his wobbly mobile phone
Among today's other revelations in the diaries, Mr Hancock:
Describes his war with former No.10 adviser Dominic Cummings, who was 'shelling' him and 'itching for me to fail', despite the 's**tshow' of Johnson's controversial aide's infamous lockdown 'mega breach' in Durham. Sets out the extraordinary tensions with vaccine taskforce tsar Kate Bingham, calling her 'totally unreliable' and saying they had a 'massive blow-up' over her alleged obstruction, including trying to block vaccines from India. Admits a total 'screw-up' over the Covid app which couldn't take data from NHS tests was his fault. Writes that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was endlessly 'on manoeuvres', using the pandemic to try to further her separatist cause. Condemns the EU's handling of the vaccine, which was 'enough to make a Brexiteer' out of anyone. Tells how the Transport Department pushed for a 24-hour notice period before the introduction of self-quarantine for travellers from Spain because then Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was on holiday in the country. He writes that border enforcement was a 'mess', with most passenger locator forms going 'straight in the bin'. Says he feared that Rishi Sunak's 'Eat Out to Help Out' initiative would lead to a spike in cases. Was jubilant at hitting his testing target, writing: 'let naysayers put that in their pipe and smoke it'The most passionately personal sections of the diaries concern Ms Coladangelo, who was on the ITV set in Australia to greet Mr Hancock when he emerged from the jungle.
The relationship with Ms Coladangelo, a friend of since their Oxford university days who worked with
