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| MP Penny Mordaunt to take part in TV diving show | MP Penny Mordaunt to take part in TV diving show |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A Conservative MP is to take part in the ITV show Splash! in which contestants dive from a board under the gaze of Olympian Tom Daley. | A Conservative MP is to take part in the ITV show Splash! in which contestants dive from a board under the gaze of Olympian Tom Daley. |
| Penny Mordaunt, who follows George Galloway and Nadine Dorries from Parliament to reality TV, is donating her fee to charity. | Penny Mordaunt, who follows George Galloway and Nadine Dorries from Parliament to reality TV, is donating her fee to charity. |
| The MP for Portsmouth North described herself as having the "diving prowess of a paving slab". | The MP for Portsmouth North described herself as having the "diving prowess of a paving slab". |
| But the show would be a "great personal development experience", she added. | But the show would be a "great personal development experience", she added. |
| Miss Mordaunt, who is parliamentary private secretary to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, will compete with comedian Patrick Monahan and The Only Way Is Essex star Dan Osbourne on 18 January. | Miss Mordaunt, who is parliamentary private secretary to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, will compete with comedian Patrick Monahan and The Only Way Is Essex star Dan Osbourne on 18 January. |
| Also taking part in the episode are veteran singer Paul Young and model Danielle Lloyd. | |
| Miss Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, said: "Not only is Splash! a great personal development experience but it also seemed like the perfect way to fundraise for a charity I'm very passionate about - the Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth which is being renovated by the community. | Miss Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, said: "Not only is Splash! a great personal development experience but it also seemed like the perfect way to fundraise for a charity I'm very passionate about - the Hilsea Lido in Portsmouth which is being renovated by the community. |
| "I will be donating my fee for the programme to assist with the renovations and will be also fundraising for them and four armed forces charities. | "I will be donating my fee for the programme to assist with the renovations and will be also fundraising for them and four armed forces charities. |
| "I have the elegance and diving prowess of a paving slab, but my Navy training has certainly given me the guts to take on the challenge head-on. | "I have the elegance and diving prowess of a paving slab, but my Navy training has certainly given me the guts to take on the challenge head-on. |
| "I don't know what the outcome of the live dive will be, except that entertainment is guaranteed." | "I don't know what the outcome of the live dive will be, except that entertainment is guaranteed." |
| Miss Mordaunt, who once worked as a magician's assistant, added on Twitter that while Splash! was "scary" the "dunk tank" used in her naval training had been "worse". | Miss Mordaunt, who once worked as a magician's assistant, added on Twitter that while Splash! was "scary" the "dunk tank" used in her naval training had been "worse". |
| She was criticised by John Ferrett, leader of Portsmouth City Council's Labour group, for "training for a celebrity gameshow" while workers were "rallying" to save 900 jobs following BAE's decision to stop shipbuilding in the city. | She was criticised by John Ferrett, leader of Portsmouth City Council's Labour group, for "training for a celebrity gameshow" while workers were "rallying" to save 900 jobs following BAE's decision to stop shipbuilding in the city. |
| He called the decision "appalling", writing on Twitter: "Whilst workers worrying about keeping jobs & homes she's been promoting minor celebrity status." | He called the decision "appalling", writing on Twitter: "Whilst workers worrying about keeping jobs & homes she's been promoting minor celebrity status." |
| Miss Mordaunt responded: "MPs do have to do more than one thing at once, and training for Splash has not compromised my efforts campaigning on a large number of issues, including the shipyard. | Miss Mordaunt responded: "MPs do have to do more than one thing at once, and training for Splash has not compromised my efforts campaigning on a large number of issues, including the shipyard. |
| "I made it clear from the start that training would be done in my own time, and that my fee would be going to charity." | "I made it clear from the start that training would be done in my own time, and that my fee would be going to charity." |
| Miss Mordaunt is not the first MP to take part in a reality TV show. | Miss Mordaunt is not the first MP to take part in a reality TV show. |
| Respect's George Galloway caused some ripples of his own in 2006 when he pretended to be a cat licking milk from a saucer as one of his tasks on Celebrity Big Brother. | Respect's George Galloway caused some ripples of his own in 2006 when he pretended to be a cat licking milk from a saucer as one of his tasks on Celebrity Big Brother. |
| Liberal Democrat Julia Goldsworthy was a contestant on the Channel 4 sports show The Games in the same year. | Liberal Democrat Julia Goldsworthy was a contestant on the Channel 4 sports show The Games in the same year. |
| And Miss Mordaunt's fellow Conservative Nadine Dorries was suspended from the party in 2012 for going on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, which clashed with parliamentary business. | And Miss Mordaunt's fellow Conservative Nadine Dorries was suspended from the party in 2012 for going on I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, which clashed with parliamentary business. |
| Miss Mordaunt's appearance will take place on a Saturday, when the House of Commons does not sit. | |
| Splash! was won last year by former Olympic ski jumper Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards. | Splash! was won last year by former Olympic ski jumper Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards. |