BBC News at Six mentions Hancock getting too close to his aide but NOT cheating on his wife
BBC News at Six is ridiculed for reporting that Matt Hancock broke social distancing guidelines but NOT that he was cheating on his wife
- BBC’s News at Six report did not focus on Mr Hancock’s marriage and kids
- It instead focused on his ‘hypocrisy’ in breaking social distancing guidelines
- Britons piled on to social media to criticise the lack of mention of his wife
- Extraordinary images revealed Mr Hancock kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo
Licence fee payers criticised the BBC today for appearing not to mention the fact Matt Hancock had cheated on his wife in their News at Six report about him being caught passionately kissing a close aide.
Health Secretary Mr Hancock, 42, today failed to deny claims of a secret long-term affair after extraordinary images revealed his passionate clinch with millionaire lobbyist Gina Coladangelo, 43.
He was filmed rubbing her back and bottom during their workplace embrace. He has three children with his wife Martha, who he married in 2006.
In their television coverage of the explosive story this evening, viewers accused the BBC of failing to mention Mr Hancock is married and instead focused on his ‘hypocrisy’ for breaking social distancing guidelines despite ordering Britons to observe them.
Britons piled on to social media during the show to pick up on the notable lack of mention of his marital status.
One wrote: ‘So it wasn’t adultery, merely an infringement of social distancing guidelines.’
The BBC later confirmed the news programme did cover the fact both Mr Hancock and Ms Coladangelo were married.
Licence fee payers criticised the BBC today for appearing not to mention the fact that Matt Hancock had cheated on his wife in their News at Six report about him being caught passionately kissing a close aide
Another added: ‘It seems, according to BBC news, that the problem with Hancock is his breaking the social distancing rules, not what he was actually doing while breaking them.
‘What a bizarre world this has become.’
Speaking on the programme, the BBC’s deputy political editor Vicki Young said the most ‘damaging’ aspect of the story for the Government is the ‘hypocrisy’.
‘That idea that they’re somehow above the rules,’ she added.
But many others disagreed with the corporation’s decision to focus only on the fact he had broken social distancing guidelines.
As well as criticising the 6pm television coverage of the story, many others highlighted how the headline on the BBC’s main article about the story made no mention about Mr Hancock’s affair.
Britons piled on to social media during the show to pick up on the notable lack of focus on his marital status
Instead, it read: ‘Hancock admits breaking social distancing rules with aide’.
One user said: ‘So, the BBC concentrate on the breaking of social distancing rules and the Prime Minister, once again considers the matter “closed”.
‘I’m surprised they don’t have a recorded message for these events. We really don’t have any integrity in our government’.
Mr Hancock’s kiss with Mrs Coladangelo is alleged to have taken place in the corridor outside his office at the Department for Health’s headquarters in central London at around 3pm on May 6 this year – the day of the UK local elections and a week after his first coronavirus jab.
The identity of the Whitehall whistleblower who leaked the footage remains unknown.
A spokesman for the BBC said: ‘The report on the News at Six made clear that both Matt Hancock and Gina Coladangelo are married.
‘The coverage also examined the nature of Gina Coladangelo’s appointment to her position on the board of the Department of Health, as well as the fact that the Health Secretary broke the Government guidelines on social distancing that he helped to draw up.’
This is the image that has left Matt Hancock fighting for his job today. It appears to show him kissing his millionaire aide – who is on the public payroll – in the corridor outside his office in May this year
Mr Hancock said sorry for breaking social distancing and asked for ‘privacy’ for his family, but refused to resign as Health Secretary
The kiss was also 13 days before the Government relaxed safety regulations including giving permission to hug.
In an extraordinary statement in which he failed to mention his wife, Mr Hancock said today: ‘I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances.
‘I have let people down and am very sorry.
‘I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter.’
Boris Johnson has refused to sack Mr Hancock and has accepted his apology.
Others noted how the headline on the BBC’s leading article about the story failed to mention Mr Hancock’s affair. It read: ‘Hancock admits breaking social distance rules with aide’
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Johnson now ‘considered the matter closed’ and refused to answer questions on whether Mr Hancock broke the law or ministerial code.
At the time the kiss image was captured, Mr Hancock is said to have checked the corridor is clear before closing the door, leaning on it to stop it opening before launching into their passionate embrace.
The Sun claims they have been having an affair that has been the talk of the department – but it is not known if they remain in a relationship that was a secret until today.
Mrs Hancock looked sad and upset as she left the couple’s home in north London this morning but didn’t speak to reporters about her husband’s alleged infidelity.
Her husband was nowhere to be seen, however, she was still wearing her wedding ring.
They were last seen together in public at the England vs Scotland Euro 2020 match at Wembley a week ago.
Communications director and lobbyist Mrs Coladangelo is a mother-of-three, whose husband Oliver Tress is the founder of clothing shop Oliver Bonas.
The shutters were closed at their £4.5million South London home this morning. She has been working as an advisor for Mr Hancock with one source saying: ‘Before Matt does anything big, he’ll speak to Gina’.
Mrs Coladangelo is friends with Matt Hancock’s wife on Facebook and they have spent time together socially.
A Whitehall whistleblower who leaked the footage and reportedly no longer works for the department, told The Sun it was ‘shocking that Mr Hancock was having an affair in the middle of a pandemic with an adviser and friend he used public money to hire’.
The alleged affair piles even more pressure on Mr Hancock, who was already reportedly battling for his job over his handling of the pandemic Dominic Cummings released WhatsApp messages from the PM that showed Mr Johnson branded him ‘f***ing useless’.
A solemn Martha Hancock walks the couple’s dog near their north London home today as he husband admitted he had ‘let people down’ but refused
Aside from the serious allegations of an affair, there will also be questions to answer about kissing someone outside his bubble during the pandemic and whether this breaches any of the Covid rules he has helped create.
Mr Hancock, who is yet to comment, has cancelled an event in his West Suffolk constituency this morning where he would have faced questions over the affair and whether he can keep his job.
He also deleted an Instagram post from last night where he said he ‘works with some brilliant women’.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said today it was an ‘entirely personal’ matter for his cabinet colleague.
He told LBC radio: ‘I have seen the photo but, as ever with private matters, I always try to avoid commenting on other people’s personal lives and I think I’ll stick with that tradition here.’
Asked whether the Health Secretary should have been ‘ignoring social distancing’, Mr Shapps replied: ‘I’m quite sure that whatever the rules were at the time were followed.
‘You’ll recall that there was a point at which social distancing rules were changed but, as I say, I don’t want to comment on somebody else’s private life – that is for them.’
The Health Secretary, 42, has been seen having a passionate clinch with millionaire lobbyist Gina Coladangelo (pictured here with Matt Hancock outside Downing Street in May), according to The Sun
