BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg shared a clip of Matt Hancock that left nature presenter Chris Packham with his head in his hands

BBC viewers hailed Chris Packham’s ‘golden’ reaction to Matt Hancock at the London Marathon today, saying: “We feel your pain.”

The disgraced former Health Secretary was running the 26.2-mile event for charity Accessible Learning Foundation (ALF), which campaigns to better identify dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other conditions where people need help most. Prior to his run, he released a video of himself speaking punchily to the camera in a yellow charity vest.

“I love the marathon, I love the crowds, the sense of excitement and I love being with all the runners running for a good cause,” he said. “In my case I’m running for the Accessible Learning Foundation, a brilliant neurodiversity charity. Everybody’s got their causes they’re running for and so there’s this real, real spirit.”

Showing the video on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, nature presenter Chris Packham had his head in his hands. Laughing, host Laura turned to him and asked him why.

“Oh it’s just Matt’s lack of insincerity,” Chris replied sarcastically with folded arms as his fellow guests chuckled. Posting the clip online, comedian Sooz Kempner wrote: “Chris Packham reacting to Matt Hancock’s Kendall Roy energy is all of us today on #bbclaurak.” She added: “This is mean tbh. Kendall Roy has elements of goodness. He has to work hard to be a callous POS because ultimately he is a broken sad boy who wants to love and accept love, he just can’t. Hancock? No excuse.”

Chris appeared on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (
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While another social media user tweeted: “National Treasure Chris Packham with head in hands when he sees Matt Hancock’s waffling. We know how you feel Chris. We feel your pain. #BBCLauraK.” A viewer commented: “If you didn’t already love @ChrisGPackham his response to seeing Matt Hancock talking about the #LondonMarathon on #bbclaurak was golden.” Another wrote: “We all felt like Chris Packham today, listening to Matt Hancock on #bbclaurak.”

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Among other stars taking part in the marathon today was EastEnders stars Jamie Borthwick and Emma Barton, who were also filming as their soap characters. Jamie, who has played Jay since 2006, left viewers heartbroken as he’s been struggling to come to terms with the death of his soulmate Lola. And so in a bid to tie in the touching storyline with reality, BBC soap bosses decided to enroll Jamie into the 26 mile race as his character, alongside Emma Barton who plays Honey.

Matt Hancock was running the London Marathon for charity (
Image:
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Cameras have been set up along the route which include the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London Bridge and the finish line at the Mall. Speaking to sports presenter Gabby Logan ahead of filming, he said: “We’re doing this on screen in memory of Lola, my wife who sadly passed away from a brain tumour in the storyline, so herself and Honey before she passed, put Jay up to do the marathon.”

He added: “So our exec Chris Clenshaw kind of said ‘well we’re going to do it for real’, sprung the idea on us on how do you feel about actually doing the marathon, we stupidly accepted, here we are. But we’re actually, we’re working today so…We’ve got our camera crew set up at four points, here, Cutty Sark, London Bridge and the finish line.”

Jamie, is no stranger to running the London Marathon as he took part in 2019 to honour his legendary co-star Barbara Windsor, who passed away in December 2020. She was sadly diagnosed with Alzheimers disease six years earlier.