Who is Gina Coladangelo? The taxpayer-funded adviser Matt Hancock is accused of having an affair with

Gina Coladangelo met the health secretary when the two were at Oxford University

The woman Matt Hancock allegedly had an affair with is a millionaire mother-of-three who is the marketing and communications director at independent high street retailer Oliver Bonas.

Gina Coladangelo was reportedly caught on camera kissing the beleaguered health secretary in pictures published by The Sun early on Friday morning.

The 43-year-old, who was previously a director at lobbying firm Luther Pendragon, met Mr Hancock at Oxford University where they became close friends over a shared passion for student radio.

She studied politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) and reportedly continued to be close friends with Mr Hancock after completing her studies in 1998, the same year as Mr Hancock.

Ms Coladangelo was handed a role as non-executive director at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) in September last year.

The role, which scrutinises decisions made by the department, will net the public affairs consultant £15,000 of taxpayer money, as reported by The Sunday Times. There is no public record of the appointment but it is listed on her LinkedIn page.

She was also appointed by Mr Hancock to be an unpaid adviser on a six-month contract in March, leading to accusations of “chumocracy” in November after she was pictured leaving meetings at No10 with the health secretary.

Ms Coladangelo also reportedly had access to a parliamentary pass since April, giving her unfettered access to the Palace of Westminster and is also bound by the Official Secrets Act.

According to the biography of the 43-year-old on Gov.UK, she “has over 20 years’ experience in communications and marketing, with a particular focus on healthcare, retail and the environment.”

It adds: “Her experience in healthcare communications is wide-ranging, providing strategic counsel and communications support for NHS trusts, healthcare agencies, professional bodies, patient groups and charities.”

She is currently a governor at BeyondAutism, an education charity, and was previously a trustee at the Willow Charity, which works with seriously ill adults.

Ms Coladangelo is married to the founder of Oliver Bonas, Oliver Tress, and they have three children together.