Graeme Swann has denied “tiresome” claims that he took a swipe at Ashley Roberts during the Strictly Come Dancing results show.
The former cricketer and his partner Oti Mabuse were eliminated from the competition after facing the former Pussycat Dolls star and partner Pasha Kovalev in the dance-off on Sunday.
Swann said during the show as he made his departure: “Secretly I’ve had 25 years of ballroom experience but I kept that to myself! No, I was a novice coming into this.”
Please don’t believe any of the tiresome headlines about me having a ‘swipe’ at @ImAshleyRoberts or @bbcstrictly. I love everything about the show and everyone on it, my glorious adventure came to a natural happy ending and I have no bitterness in any way shape or form. 🕺🏼💃😁👍
— Graeme Swann (@Swannyg66) November 27, 2018
His comment was interpreted by many Strictly fans to have been a dig at Roberts due to her previous years of dance experience.
Swann tweeted: “Please don’t believe any of the tiresome headlines about me having a ‘swipe’ at @ImAshleyRoberts or @bbcstrictly.
“I love everything about the show and everyone on it, my glorious adventure came to a natural happy ending and I have no bitterness in any way shape or form.”
Swann also said, as he left the series on Sunday, that he would have voted for Roberts and Kovalev, after the judges voted unanimously to save them.
He added: “I can’t quite believe I was put against them to be honest but this whole journey I’ve got to say, before I say gloating things about Oti that I’m obviously going to.
“This show and what you’ve got is something special and thank you for letting me be a part of it.”