I'm A Celebrity winner Giovanna Fletcher has apologised after she and her McFly star husband Tom used the government's furlough scheme last year.
The couple described their decision to use the government's coronavirus job retention scheme as a "huge error of judgement" and apologised.
Author Giovanna, 36, and Tom, 35, issued a joint statement on Tuesday, apologising for the move though insisting the financial figures reported were incorrect.
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The statement said: "Hi everyone, we’ve always had a very honest and open relationship with you all on here so we thought it was important to address questions that some of you have rightly asked us in the last 24 hours.
"This weekend there was an article in one of the Sunday papers about us using the government furlough scheme.
"While parts of the article were inaccurate (including all of the figures mentioned), it is true that we did follow financial advice to furlough someone we employ."
The couple said the furlough cash was used for a staff member who "couldn’t carry out their role due to the pandemic" and the scheme was suggested as "the most effective way to give them job stability and security" - reports the Manchester Evening News.
The statement added: "Although it was a time of great uncertainty, we clearly should have thought more about the situation and funded it ourselves.
"It was a huge error of judgement and a mistake we wholeheartedly take responsibility for and we have paid the full amount back."
The furlough scheme, introduced over a year ago, has protected millions of jobs throughout the coronavirus pandemic and is due to come to an end in September.
Giovanna was crowned winner of ITV's I'm A Celeb at the start of December after three weeks at Gwrych Castle in North Wales.
As well as that, the mum-of-three has presented CBeebies series The Baby Club, has her own podcast and has written several books.
Tom has enjoyed a hugely successful music career as part of bands McFly and McBusted.
