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Lorraine Kelly today dismissed claims that Esther McVey had once been promoted over her and slammed her views on LGBT rights as the rift between the pair deepened.

Daytime TV star Kelly, who worked with Tory leadership hopeful McVey in the 1990s before she entered politics, said she was “baffled” by the suggestion.

Rumours of a feud swirled after Kelly appeared to snub her former colleague live on air yesterday, when the politician was a guest on ITV’s Good Morning Britain

Kelly shook her head and looked shocked today as she watched a clip of her former colleague later explaining the exchange to a press conference: “We used to share a dressing room and she used to be the programme afterwards and obviously she used to be partnered with Eamonn Holmes and then I was promoted to be partnering with Eamonn Holmes.”

After showing her the clip on GMB this morning, Morgan said to her: “So [she is] basically inferring there you lost in a kind of love war over Eamonn?”

Kelly replied: “Well, who wouldn’t want to fight over Eamonn Holmes?” before adding: “No, there is no battle. I’m baffled by that though because I had my own show from 1992 and I don’t actually think she joined until five years later.

“As far as sharing dressing rooms go, it wasn’t really like that. It was just a little room that everybody shared, that we went in and we got ready in.”

Pressed by Susanna Reid if the pair were “best friends”, Kelly said: “I will be genuinely honest with you, I don’t remember. It was a long time ago, my show was totally separate from that show.”

Asked if she approves of the Brexiteer MP’s politics, Kelly went on: “I will be honest with you, I just got sick to the back teeth of the whole toxic political atmosphere.

“I strongly disagree with her on LGBT rights and I just felt like I’ve had enough of this, we’ve had two-and-a-half years of going round in circles over Brexit and now we’ve got people at each other’s throats and its got to stop.”

McVey has drawn criticism for saying parents should have the right to withdraw their children from lessons where they are taught about LGBT relationships.

Ms McVey’s views on LGBT rights sparked controversy when she said the parents of primary age children should have the right to take their child out of sex education classes that focus on gay relationships.