Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock has admitted his affair with Gina Coladangelo has “blown up” his life.

Mr Hancock was forced to resign after pictures of his lockdown affair in his office were brought to light.

24 hours after pictures were splashed across national newspapers, he was forced to step down as Boris Johnson’s health secretary.

Dorset Echo: Matt Hancock with adviser Gina Coladangelo. (PA)Matt Hancock with adviser Gina Coladangelo. (PA)

Mr Hancock has apologised for his actions in his first TV interview since the public scandal in June on ITV’s Peston show.

Matt Hancock speaks to ITV in first TV interview since affair scandal

After The Sun published photos of a kiss inside his office with his employee Downing Street released a statement saying the “matter was closed” and the former cabinet minister did not resign for a full day.

Pressed on this, Hancock said: “As you can imagine, the first thing I focused on was my personal life, and then when I focused on my professional responsibilities, I decided I had to resign.”

"I'd blown up every part of my life. I concentrated on my personal life first as you can probably imagine... I made the decision," he said.

"It was clearly the right decision. I just say sorry again for the failure. I let a lot of people down. I'm sorry to the people that I hurt."

Asked whether he is trying to get back into government, Mr Hancock said: “I’m not in any hurry, I think being on the backbenches…I’m enjoying it but also it’s a very important job and contributions from people who have been there in the heat of battle…if I can make that sort of contribution then I’m enjoying doing that.”

Hancock went on to deny that he was involved in giving out a £40 million contract to a company in his constituency.

He told Peston: “I had absolutely nothing to do with that contract…the gentlemen in question and his company did not get a contract with the department or the NHS, they were a subcontractor.”

He added: “People are trying to insinuate there is a problem where there isn’t one.”