Singleton dispels lesbian rumours by revealing Purves affair

In an attempt to dispel rumours that have circulated for the last 30 years that she is a lesbian, Valerie Singleton, the former Blue Peter presenter, has revealed she has, in fact, enjoyed numerous affairs with men, among them the actor Albert Finney and her co-presenter Peter Purves.

"The truth is I have always been the complete opposite of gay. It really is rubbish. I'm very honest and if I were that way inclined I'd have said so," she said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, before telling of her relationship with Purves. "He was lovely - warm, interesting and fun - and he was between marriages. We were on assignment out of London and after a day's filming we had a few glasses of wine at our hotel, and one thing led to another. It was one of the those impulsive, enjoyable experiences but more a friendship than anything else."

The purveyor of sticky-back plastic also disclosed that she had an abortion in 1963, less than a year after joining the popular children's series, following a brief liaison with Richard Wade, who also worked at the BBC.

Singleton, 71, who has never married, also recalled a "wonderful smoochy night" with Albert Finney after a party on the King's Road in London, although she points out that this was not consummated.