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A BBC star has taken Boris Johnson to task for making sexist remarks in a slapdown at one of his own keynote speeches.

Steph McGovern, currently on maternity leave from BBC Breakfast, upbraided the PM for branding David Cameron a "girly swot" after he was quizzed at an event in Rotherham.

The presenter - who was not representing the BBC at the event - said just after Mr Johnson left the stage: "I'd just like to point out I am a girly swot, and I'm proud of it!

"Let's see who's in the job for longest."

As the crowd at the Convention of the North laughed, she moved swiftly on with the agenda saying: "Right... so..."

The star later tweeted: "At a non BBC event I was hosting today, I made a light hearted remark after the Prime Minister’s speech. Sorry that this caused offence to some. That was absolutely not my intention."

It capped a nightmare day for the Prime Minister as he was told "people have died" from austerity,heckled during his speech for shutting down parliament, and hit by tough questions from local journalists.

(Image: Getty Images)

Mr Johnson's slur about David Cameron emerged in documents disclosed to a court case against him shutting down Parliament.

The full context of the remarks were unclear but they were branded sexist and misogynistic by critics.

They emerged days after he appeared to dub Jeremy Corbyn a "big girl's blouse" during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons.

Ms McGovern was hosting today's event and spoke just after Mr Johnson was questioned about the "girly swot" comments by a journalist.

The reporter asked if the PM was worried Mr Cameron - whose memoirs will be released next week - will dub him something worse in the long-awaited autobiography.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images) (Image: AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Johnson replied: "I want people to be clear.

"Absolutely nothing that David Cameron says in his memoirs in the course of the next few days will diminish the affection and respect in which I hold him.

"Not least for what he did in turning this country round after Labour left it bankrupt.

"I think he has a very distinguished record and a legacy to be proud of."

Earlier the PM's speech on funding for northern towns was derailed as he was subjected to extended heckling.

The PM was trying to set out plans to give more power to mayors at a speech at the Convention of the North in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

He started saying: "Someone with the power to sort out what matters most to local people..."

But he was interrupted by the heckler saying: "Like our MPs, Boris? Maybe get back to parliament?" The man was ejected.

(Image: Getty Images)

It was the second confrontation of the day for the PM, who was also confronted by an angry voter in Doncaster who said he had “a cheek” to come to her town.

She accused the prime minister of telling the public a “fairy tale” over Brexit.

And she hit out at a stunned Mr Johnson about the damage wrought by Tory cuts.

She told Mr Johnson: “People have died because of austerity. And you’ve got the cheek to come here and tell us austerity is over and it’s all good now and we’re going to leave the EU now and everything’s going to be great – it’s a fairytale.”

Also in his speech Mr Johnson faced tough questioning from regional journalists in the north of England.

He was rattled when he was asked about an interview in which he said money spent on historic child sex abuse investigations had been "spaffed up a wall".

And he also blustered after being asked whether his fund for nearly 100 towns was an election bribe - after the Manchester Evening News found many of them were Tory target seats.

The PM claimed almost any seat could be a Tory target.

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(Image: BBC)

Steph, who is due to give birth in November, has kept the identity of her girlfriend private but she is believed to be a TV executive.

The presenter revealed she was pregnant on Twitter, writing: "Yep, I am no longer with pot belly… I am now with child.”

The host also presents Watchdog alongside Matt Allwright and Nikki Fox, fronts Shop Well For Less, and works on CBBC’s Pocket Money Pitch.

She is involved in BBC community projects including BBC Outreach and BBC School Report.