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Kirsten McStay

Carol Vorderman fuming at claims she 'cosied up' to Matt Hancock after blasting MP

Carol Vorderman has expressed that she's not happy about claims she 'cosied up' to Matt Hancock at Cheltenham.

The Countdown legend went along to the races on Tuesday with a whole host of celeb pals in the VIP area.

The 62-year-old was snapped looking stunning in a corset and leather skirt, as she paired her ensemble with a pair of aviator sunglasses and a fur stole.

She was pictured in good spirits talking to Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, and was also spotted having a chat with MP Matt Hancock.

Carol has since taken to Twitter to say that she reluctantly chatted to the disgraced politician and outright denied that they "cosied up" together.

Posting on the social media site, Carol said: "We've had a great day and we've just looked online and there's a whole blooming thing in the Daily Mail - talk about a set-up - about how I've been cosying up to Matt Han cock at the races! OK, I'm going to tell you what happened.

"I'm always a guest at the Jockey Club - I'm at the Cheltenham Races all the time, I go to a lot of meetings there, I go to a lot of racing. I have shares in a horse with the chairman of Cheltenham Races, it's one of my things.

"So, Michael Dickinson, who is a genius trainer of all time, is a dear friend of mine along with Brendan Foster. We were having lunch, we go to parading - it's a long story, this - and we always go up to the royal box at some point to watch a race.

"We all go up, we're having tea - I was chauffeur because I wasn't drinking - and sandwiches and all that kind of thing. It was Michael, Brendan, some other people from ITV Sport. I love the races, so my friend Jules and I go, 'We're just going out early onto the terrace to watch Honeysuckle.'

"We go out onto the terrace to watch Honeysuckle and the others canting down to the start, which is just glorious and the crowds are like 70,000 people! Jules and I, almost alone on the terrace outside - it's such a set-up - we're there, maybe three other people. It's a big terrace.

Carol Vorderman slammed claims that she was cosying up to Matt Hancock (Twitter)

"We're looking out at the course... tap on the shoulder - 'Hello, my name's Gina.' And then I turn around and it's Matt Hancock - 'Hello, my name's Matt.' I went, 'Hello, I'm Carol, this is my friend Jules.' What are you meant to do? You're in the royal box. You can't call them a... in the royal box, can you?

"So I said, 'Oh Matt, are you into racing?' And they said, not particularly but Matt is, she said, because his constituency is in Newmarket and he's even ridden in a race."

Pulling a face, Carol continued: "Which I thought, oh I didn't know that. So I said, 'Oh, that's interesting because we were at Sandown last week, weren't we Jules?' Where there were amateur jockeys, bla. And I said, 'That's really interesting, we want to watch the race.'

She claimed to have only had a brief conversation with Hancock (PA)

"Then we turn round to watch the course and then he said, 'Oh by the way, thank you.' So I turn around again to be civil. 'By the way, thank you for everything you do with your son about enlightening people about dyslexia. I am dyslexic. La la la.'

"So I said, 'It's very important to me as a mother of a child who had special educational needs that people are aware that you can become very successful in spite of the early studies. It takes them longer for them to get to where they need to be, that's all. They're not incapable, it just takes people longer.'

"And at that point I said, 'By the way, I really want to watch this race.' Turned round and watched the race. Jules and I never spoke another word again! That's it! Talk about a bloody set-up!"

She went on to say that she had been "brought up to be polite" and that's why she responded to the couple in the first place.

Carol said that she was only being polite in talking to him (PA)

Last year, Carol made her views clear on the ex-health secretary on social media after he controversially appeared on I'm a Celebrity

At the time, Carol said: "Well I'm on my way into the This Morning studio again to talk about Boy George with Boy George's manager and to talk about the arrival about Seann Walsh and Matt Hancock."

She joked: "Apparently, to say his name properly the 'Han' is silent. Who knew?"

She also captioned her tweet: "Practising saying Matt Hancock correctly.... apparently the Han in Han-Cock is silent."

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