Oscar-worthy performance or sincerity? UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock sheds tear as William Shakespeare gets Covid-19 vaccine

The British Health Secretary Matt Hancock teared up live on air talking about the UK starting to administer the Covid-19 vaccine, with the first male candidate to receive a jab sharing a name with world-famous English playwright.

Hancock appeared emotional on the ‘Good Morning Britain’ program this Tuesday. “It’s been such a tough year for so many people,” the MP said, after host Piers Morgan noticed him wiping away a tear.

“There’s William Shakespeare putting it so simply for everybody, that we can get on with our lives, though there are still a few months to go,” Hancock uttered, referring to the 81-year-old Shakespeare saying that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine could “make the difference to our lives.”

Hancock then revealed his final “worry”: "getting the vaccine to millions of people" of the UK. In the meantime, he urged viewers to "stick by the rules" of their local anti-coronavirus mandates.

“There is so much work that has gone into this, and it makes you proud to be British,” the politician concluded.

Shakespeare became the second person in the UK to take the newly approved vaccine, after 90-year-old Margaret Keenan.

Despite the happy occasion, Hancock’s presumably heartfelt comments appear to have backfired online, with viewers accusing him of being disingenuous and likening him to a soap opera actor from a show such as ‘Hollyoaks’ or ‘Sunset Beach’.

“Least convincing attempt at showing a human emotion I’ve ever seen,” one user tweeted. “It was an act, probably to get an easy ride in the interview and to pretend he cares about us little people,” posited another.

However, many commenters jokingly took the opposite stance, pushing for the official’s “performance” to get an Oscar.

Others carped that Hancock’s “British pride” was undeserved, since the vaccine had been developed abroad by foreign companies and scientists. “There is literally nothing that is making me feel proud about any of this,” one person tweeted.

At the same time, some commenters did think Hancock had a truly “emotional moment” on ‘Good Morning Britain’. “Proud to be British and lucky to live here,” one tweeter said in support of the MP.

Tuesday marks the beginning of the UK’s nationwide vaccination program, with the Pfizer jab being made available at 14 locations across the country. However, it is currently reserved for 10 categories of high-risk or high-priority individuals, totaling 25 million people.

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