Strictly Come Dancing winner Joe McFadden has said he was not at the opening night of this year’s series because he was attending a friend’s wedding.
Asked by the hosts of Loose Women why he was not in the audience of the live premiere, the Holby City star, 42, said he had been in Glasgow.
He added that Richard Madden, who played Sergeant David Budd in BBC One’s Bodyguard, was also at the wedding. Madden, 32, performed a reading for the bride and groom and McFadden sang.
On my way to talk to the @loosewomen to talk about #thehouseoncoldhill by @PeterJamesStage– (with a little bit of #Strictly thrown in I’m sure) @StaceySolomon @nadiasawalha @janem @andrea_mclean
— Joe McFadden (@mrjoemcfadden) September 27, 2018
Speaking on the ITV programme, he said: “Don’t believe what you read in the papers. I was at my friend’s wedding in Glasgow.
“Nigella was there that night as well. Richard Madden was there and he was doing a reading and I was singing.”
McFadden, who became the oldest Strictly winner in the show’s history at 42, defeated Debbie McGee and Alexandra Burke to lift the glitterball trophy in the grand final in December last year.
He added he was not jealous of this year’s contestants because he knew how tough training could be.
He said: “I was out with Debbie McGee the other night and we were saying how we are not jealous because we know what they are going through.
“We know the blood, sweat and tears. It looks very easy but I know what it takes to get to that point.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One on Saturday at 6.30pm.
