[erinp5]

Rylan Clark has confirmed that he will return as host of Big Brother's Bit on the Side, dismissing claims that he angered producers by getting involved with a contestant from last series.

The former Celebrity Big Brother winner and X Factor contestant told Jon Hornbuckle for Digital Spy that reports he had lost the role after getting close to series 14 contestant Dan Neal were untrue.


"I will be back, despite some recent allegations," he said. "I love presenting... I think a lot of people doubted me when it was announced that I would be presenting the show.

"I don't think I'm big-headed, but I think I've done a great job and that's what I've been told.

"If the only thing that people can pick on is my teeth and not my presenting then I've done a good job. Nobody has said I'm a s**t presenter.

However, Clark declined to elaborate on his relationship with Neal, saying: "My personal life is my personal life

"I live my public life on TV practically six or seven nights a week so now I think it's time that I take a step back and try to enjoy my personal life... I think any person alive, whether they are an A-lister or a Z-lister deserves a bit of [privacy]."

Clark also said that he is still in touch with his X Factor mentor Nicole Scherzinger and revealed that she became hooked on Celebrity Big Brother while he was in the house.

"She's coming over in a few weeks for a massive sleepover," he said. "I can't wait to give her a cuddle, she's been my biggest supporter since day one and I'm so lucky.

"She calls [Big Brother] 'that television house' but she did watch it, she watched it every night and she voted for me and was the first person to congratulate me when I came out of the house."