The U.K. minister blamed for Britain’s disastrous early response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and who was described as “totally fucking hopeless” by Prime Minister Boris Johnson—has been caught having an affair with an aide. TheSun published photos of Matt Hancock in what it called a “steamy clinch” with aide Gina Coladangelo, his hand fondling her buttock as they kissed in his ministerial office. Hancock, 42, has known Coladangelo, described as “a millionaire lobbyist,” since their student days at Oxford and hired her as a non-executive director at his department last year. Hancock is a figure of fun in the U.K., with even Queen Elizabeth II mocking him as a “poor man” during a recent audience with Johnson. In a statement, Hancock sheepishly admitted that he had “breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances,” adding: “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.”
