Lorraine Kelly has savaged Matt Hancock by describing him as looking like a ‘pound shop milk tray man’ in after he appeared on a podcast defending his lockdown affair.
The former Health Secretary was lampooned by the ITV presenter for his choice of clothing on The Diary of a CEO podcast, during which he denied breaking the law.
On her show this morning Lorraine poured scorn on his outfit of choice for the podcast – a dark blue turtle neck jumper and blue jeans – and his description of events.
She said: ‘That is Matt Hancock, remember him? The former Health Secretary talking to Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett about his resignation last year.
‘I don’t what he’s come as, he looks like a bond villain. A pound shop milk tray man maybe?
Lorraine Kelly made the piercing remarks on her ITV show this morning. She poured scorn on Mr Hancock’s recent appearance on podcast The Diary of a CEO
She described Mr Hancock’s appearance on the podcast, which can be seen above, as looking like a ‘pound shop milk tray man’
Mr Hancock was lampooned as looking similar to the iconic Milk Tray Man (pictured) who has appeared in Cadbury adverts for decades
‘You remember, he was caught on CCTV groping his advisor. His new partner Gina was also spotted at the recording of that podcast. So they fell in love?
‘But, lots of people who fell in love with each other weren’t allowed to see each other at that time, were they?’
The remark is a reference to a series of adverts by chocolatier Cadbury and its Milk Tray product.
The adverts, which ran over the course of four decades, showed a handsome mysterious man dressed in dark clothes who performs death defying stunts to deliver the box of chocolates to ladies.
Her remarks were praised by viewers on social media, with some saying she should get a BAFTA for them.
Viewers were delighted at Lorraine’s description of the former Health Secretary, who resigned following the affair last year. Some were even left calling for her to receive a BAFTA for the remarks
Rachel Hawkins said: ‘Lorraine Kelly calling Matt Hancock ‘a poundshop Milk Tray man’ on live telly deserves a BAFTA’.
Kay Barnes agreed, adding: ‘The way Lorraine Kelly has just openly said Matt Hancock is ‘a pound shop Milk Tray man’ live on TV deserves a BAFTA. What a comment.’
Michele Marsland was similarly delighted, saying: ‘I am LIVING for Lorraine’s savage take down of Matt Hancock’, while others said the host ‘Wins the TV today’.
Mr Hancock has been largely out of the public eye since his affair with advisor Angela Coladangelo was revealed in June last year, leading to his resignation as Health Secretary.
CCTV images released at the time showed him embracing and kissing his married lover inside the Department of Health amid the height of the Covid pandemic, leading to accusations he had broken the law.
However, earlier this week he appeared on business podcast The Diary of a CEO, in which he denied the relationship, which led to the breakdown of his marriage, was against the rules.
Defending himself, the 43-year-old said it had happened ‘quite quickly’ after legal rules surrounding social distancing were lifted, adding: ‘I didn’t break the law. I fell in love with somebody.’
On the podcast, which was released earlier this week, the MP told host Mr Bartlett he did not break the law as a result of the affair.
‘It actually happened after the rules were lifted, but the guidance was still in place,’ he said.
‘I resigned because I broke the social distancing guidelines by then.
‘They weren’t actually rules. They weren’t the law. But that’s not the point.
‘The point is they were the guidelines that I’d been proposing. And that happened because I fell in love with somebody.’
Since the affair became public knowledge both Mr Hancock and Miss Coladangelo have split with their respective partners. Mr Hancock insisted the relationship did not break any social distancing laws
Mr Hancock said things had happened ‘quickly’ between the pair and they had fallen ‘deeply in love’ with each other. Loraine responded saying ‘lots of people who fell in love with each other weren’t allowed to see each other at that time, were they?’
People had to stay two metres apart from anyone outside their household or bubble, under the guidance at the time.
Mr Hancock stressed that his relationship with Miss Coladangelo was serious, saying he hated that some had ‘got the impression somehow that this was [casual sex]’.
He said he regretted the pain it had caused to his family, with his 15-year marriage to wife Martha breaking down as a result.
He added that the pair had known each other since going to Oxford University together and he had brought her into the health department to help with ‘public communications’.
Mr Hancock said: ‘We spent a lot of time together, ironically, trying to get me to be able to communicate in a more emotionally intelligent way.
‘And we fell in love. And that’s something that was completely outside of my control.’
The couple have been seen in public together a handful of times since the affair was revealed, including on romantic getaways in Split, Croatia, and in the Swiss Alps last year.
