Boris Johnson’s sister Rachel puts Janet Street Porter ‘in her place’ as she defends PM

An interview between Janet Street Porter and Rachel Johnson became rather awkward on Loose Women on Tuesday.

The ITV show invited the Prime Minister's sister onto the show to discuss how podcast and being a "difficult" woman.

As Rachel, 55, spoke about her various guests and why she thinks it's important for women to be "difficult", Janet was keen to ask her about her sibling Boris.

"One thing I'd like to ask you about your brother and I know you’ll be very reluctant to talk about him, is do you think there's a double standard at work here? Because Theresa May did get criticised and nitpicked over what she wore, her hair and everything else.

Janet Street Porter asked Rachel Johnson about the 'double standards' when it comes to Boris Johnson and Theresa May (ITV)

"And yet your brother has, to put it mildly, an incredibly colourful private life that proceeded his current partner and yet somehow he sails through, he's one of the lads. There is a double standard and it does make me cross, don't you feel it too?"

"Well, I’m going to slightly hospital past that and remind you what Angela Rayner said about this when asked the exact same question...

"She said, 'why aren't you focusing on the Prime Minister, the number of children, number of marriages, hair and suits and all the rest of it?' and as you say, he doesn't get scrutiny for those sorts of things...

Rachel defended her brother Boris and said he's 'never used his private life on the public stage' (ITV)

"I think because that is who he is, he’s never tried to hide anything, he's never tried to pretend he's anything else over than who he is, and he's never used his private life on the public stage.

"For him, it remains private and of course it’s a matter of speculation now that he’s Prime Minister, and I’m sure there is a double standard too," Rachel added.

However, Janet clapped back: "But he used legal restrictions to make sure it’s private, he has resorted to lawyers and stuff like that to keep it private."

Janet argued that the Prime Minister has 'used legal restrictions to make sure it’s private' (ITV)

Rachel with her brothers Jo Johnson and Boris Johnson (Getty Images)

But Rachel was quick to respond and said: "Janet, listen I think you wouldn’t ask him on Loose Women and talk to him about me so I think we can draw it to a close on that note."

"Okay, fair enough," Janet said, as Kaye Adams butted in: "Oh you can't be surprised that we've asked you about your brother, the Prime Minster, surely? We’re not gonna be the first to have done that."

Viewers tuning in were quick to comment on the exchange, with one person tweeting: "#LooseWomen well done Rachel Johnson for shutting Janet up!"

A second person wrote: "#LooseWomen did she just shut Janet up?" while a third added: "She just put Janet in her place... #loosewomen."

Loose Women airs weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV.