Robinson 'turned down Tory Mayor offer'

Anne Robinson has claimed that she was approached by the Conservative Party to be its official candidate for the last London Mayoral elections before the selection of Boris Johnson.

The Weakest Link host told The Independent that she turned down the offer in 2007.

She said: "I don't think I've ever revealed this, but, before the Tories asked Boris to be their candidate for Mayor of London, they asked me if I'd stand.

"I wasn't interested. At the time, there was no candidate and they were obviously casting around. After me, they probably moved on to [Jeremy] Clarkson."

A spokesperson for Johnson replied: "Boris was the choice of ordinary Conservatives and people in London.

"The only thing he said at the time was 'I fear no man', and you can probably add woman to that. Even Anne Robinson."