CAROL Vorderman has taken to social media to refute claims in the national media that she was cosying up to Matt Hancock and his gilfriend Gina Coladangelo.

Carol Vorderman made an appearance at the Cheltenham Races on Tuesday, where she was papped on the balcony of the royal box.

The 62-year-old, who grew up in Rhyl and Prestatyn was spotted in the VIP area, looking in high spirits as she enjoyed a laugh with Gareth Gates and other stars.

 

The former Countdown presenter and author opted for a stylish ensemble of an underbust corset, leather skirt and a fur stole. 

Later in the day, Carol was seen chatting with MP Matt Hancock, although she has since denied that they "cosied up" together.

She had previously slammed the Chester-born former MP when it was announced her would appear on I'm a Celebrity....Get Me Out of Here.

He had come underfire for his actions as Health Secretary during the early days of the Covid pandemic.

After the day out, Carol took to Twitter to explain what happened, saying that she was a guest of the Jockey Club, having lunch with Michael Dickinson and Brendan Foster and then going up to the royal box to watch a race, all while having tea and sandwiches with them.

She told her followers: "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 Hancock 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."

Saying it was a long story, she continued: "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 chaufeur because I wasn't drinking - and sandwiches and all that kind of thing. It was Michael, Brendan, some other people from ITV Sport. 

"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.

"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."

Carol added that she wasn't aware of 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 said that Matt Hancock spoke to her again, thanking her for raising awareness about learning difficulties.

She said: "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.'

"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 abother word again!

"That's it! Talk about a bloody set-up!"

Carol also revealed that she has shares in a horse with the chairman of Cheltenham Races.