Matt Hancock’s aide and ‘lover’ Gina Coladangelo is wife of founder of Oliver Bonas
Matt Hancock’s glamorous mother-of-three ‘lover’ Gina Coladangelo, 43, is married to the millionaire behind Oliver Bonas and boasts a string of celebrity friends
- Gina Coladangelo works for company her spouse Oliver Tress founded in London in 1993
- Her appointment to the Department of Health last year by Mr Hancock sparked uproar
- Mr Hancock and Mrs Coladangelo met at Oxford doing student radio and PPE degrees
The woman Matt Hancock has been allegedly having an affair with is married to the millionaire founder of fashion firm Oliver Bonas and works as its communications director.
Gina Coladangelo, 43, knows the Health Secretary from Oxford University, where they both worked on the student radio station, and where he also met his wife Martha Millar.
Ms Coladangelo remains Facebook friends with Hancock’s osteopath wife after they both graduated from the university at around the same time.
And the pair both reside in London, with Coladangelo living with her multi-millionaire fashion tycoon husband and their three children in Wandsworth while the Hancocks live in Queens Park with their two daughters and son.
Hancock hired Coladangelo as a non-executive director at the Department of Health last year, and the CCTV images of them kissing are taken on May 6.
The mother of three, 43, is a major shareholder – as well as director – of the lobbying firm Luther Pendragon.
She studied politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) at Oxford between 1995 and 1998, the same as Mr Hancock.
Matt Hancock met Gina when they worked on the Oxford University student radio station together in the 1990s.
Hancock was a minority sports reporter on Oxygen FM while studying for a philosophy, politics and economics degree.
Gina who was on the same course and also worked at the radio station where they became close friends.
They would have studied together, volunteered together on the radio station and socialised together while at Exeter College, Oxford.
She was described as Hancock’s ‘closest friend’ from university when he appointed her as an unpaid adviser last year.
Hancock has spoken fondly of his days working alongside Coladangelo on the now defunct radio station.
As newly appointed Minister for Digital and Culture in 2016 he said: ‘I think I somehow knew, when as a student I worked as minority sports correspondent for Oxygen 107.9 FM, that one day I’d become Minister for radio.’
But Mrs Coladangelo went on to marry Oliver Tress, 54, who is founder of fashion chain Oliver Bonas, named after his ex-girlfriend Anna who is cousin of Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas.
He founded the store in 1993 and she began working there in 2014 after eleven years working for PR firm Luther Pendragon.
Mrs Coladangelo has been spotted leaving Downing Street with the Health Secretary on a number of occasions. A source told the Sunday Times last year: ‘Before Matt does anything big, he’ll speak to Gina. She knows everything.’
But her new role was not made public despite her getting access to £15,000 from the taxpayer.
Gina Coladangelo works for the company her husband Oliver Tress (pictured together in 2014) founded – while also being Mr Hancock’s closest aide
Gina Coladangelo and illustrator Aysha Awwad at the V&A Summer Party at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2019
While working as Head of Marketing at Oliver Bonas, Mrs Coladangelo (pictured right) contributed to a post on International Women’s Day
Ms Coladangelo, left, with TV presenter Jenni Falconer, right
She was an unpaid adviser for Mr Hancock but claims of ‘chumocracy’ emerged in November when it was revealed she was attending confidential meetings.
Mrs Coladangelo was made a non-executive director at the Department for Health in September. She shows off the role on her LinkedIn page and has to ‘oversee and monitor performance’.
Mrs Coladangelo is pictured in her LinkedIn profile photo
She says: ‘I have over twenty years’ experience in business management and marketing and communications, with a focus on retail, healthcare, the third sector and energy.
‘Marketing expertise across media relations, consumer campaigns, social media, digital strategy, strategic collaborations, internal communications, issues management and public affairs.’
But her new role was not made public despite her getting access to £15,000 from the taxpayer.
While working as Head of Marketing at Oliver Bonas, Mrs Coladangelo contributed to a post on International Women’s Day.
She wrote: ‘You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. Decide what you want and don’t want – and stick to it. It is up to you to live a life you love.’
Mrs Coladangelo has access to the Houses of Parliament due to gaining a pass in April and is also said to be bound by the Official Secrets Act.
Gina Coladangelo and her husband Oliver Tress live in this property in Wandsworth, South West London
Mrs Coladangelo shows off the role on her LinkedIn page and has to ‘oversee and monitor performance’
Matt Hancock arrives at the BBC studios in London with his senior aide Gina Coladangelo in July last year
The pass reportedly has her husband’s surname on it, but she does not use it for her work. House of Lords peer Lord Bethell sponsored her for the pass.
Away from work, Mrs Coladangelo has three children. In 2012 she told how she had returned to work while being a mother
Away from work, Mrs Coladangelo has three children. In 2012 she told the Daily Mail how she had returned to work while being a mother.
She paid for a live-in nanny at their home in south-west London and worked flexible hours.
Mrs Coladangelo said: ‘I don’t worry about my children being closer to their nanny, because I spend as much time as I can with them.
‘I would never dream of telling other mothers what to do with their lives. Every woman has to make her own choice.
‘But I feel very fortunate in my education and believe those years shouldn’t be wasted. I want to work to give something back.’
Her husband Oliver gave an interview to the Financial Times in November 2015 and spoke about their house. He said: ‘Our indulgence was moving to a bigger home in Wandsworth in September (2015).
‘We barely had a garden in Clapham, but the new house has a bigger garden and more space downstairs.
Gina Coladangelo works for the company her husband Oliver Tress (pictured together several years ago) founded – while also being Mr Hancock’s closest aid
Matt Hancock with his aide Gina Coladangelo leaving the BBC studios after appearing on The Andrew Marr Show earlier this month
Then-London Mayor Boris Johnson meets Oliver Tress while visiting an Oliver Bonas store in November 2015
‘We might be able to build an extension. The mortgage will still be pretty considerable, as retail businesses are not necessarily throwing up a lot of cash. I am not a tycoon.’
Mr Bonas opened his first store on London’s Fulham Road in 1993 with handbags and jewellery he had brought from Hong Kong where his parents lived.
Speaking to the Independent in September 2015, he said: ‘I’d been bringing presents back for friends and they were really popular so I thought, ‘I wonder if I can make a go of this?’ And to my amazement it just worked.’
Bonas was the surname of his then girlfriend Anna Bonas, who is the cousin of Prince Harry’s former girlfriend Cressida Bonas, and he told how ‘she very kindly hasn’t demanded that I changed it’.
