David Baddiel has hit back at claims of Dale Winton’s unrequited love for him.
Certain reports have suggested that former Supermarket Sweep presenter Dale, who died On Wednesday aged 62, had suffered from ‘loneliness’, highlighting his supposed ‘love’ for the comedian.
But David, 53, has slammed the stories, describing them as “ridiculous” and “unsavoury”.
The funnyman, who made his name in Nineties comedy show The Mary Whitehouse Experience, reportedly first met Dale during a TV appearance.
And after Dale was found dead in his North London home, David tweeted a picture of a book Dale had signed for him, complete with a saucy message.
The handwritten note said: “David, darling, you know that I adore you & you know that you could make it happen! Just let me be the first!”
However, reports suggested that there was far more to Dale’s feelings for Baddiel than a bit of flirting, with one claiming that the camp star’s heart was ‘devoted firmly’ to the comedian.
Read more: TV bosses confirm Dale Winton show return after having been earlier dropped from schedules
And that’s prompted David to defend himself on social media.
The stand-up star, who has two children with fellow comedian Morwenna Banks, wrote: “I knew Dale a bit, he was a very sweet man, and flirtatious with me, as he was with many straight men.
“I’ve joked about that in the past. But the tabloids – would you believe it – are being very unsavoury in their implication here.”
He later added: “There’s a ridiculous suggestion that his death is linked in some way to an agonised love for me, which is nonsense and a bit horrible.
“When I met him, he’d flirt a lot. Because he was funny and camp. And he once told me he fancied me because I was so straight. That’s it.”
Following Dale’s death, his agent Jan Kennedy released a statement announcing the sad news.
The bulletin read: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of Dale Winton, who died at home earlier today.
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“While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”
As yet, the exact cause of death has not been revealed.
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