Bannatyne in public spat with ‘bunny boiler’ ex

Duncan Bannatyne with his ex girlfriend, former beauty queen Michelle Evans. Picture: Ross Parry

Michelle Evans, 37, ended her seven-month relationship with the 66-year-old businessman earlier this month after he was photographed with another woman.

In an explosive interview, Miss Evans said the Dragon’s Den star had implied that he would publish intimate photographs of her after she asked him to reimburse £1,200 she had spent on childcare for her son while she went out on dates with him.

She also claimed the health club owner - worth an estimated £175 million - ordered her to pay half the bill in restaurants and gave her a £20 gift set from his own spa for Christmas, wrapped up in a Morrisons plastic bag.

But yesterday a furious Mr Bannatyne took to Twitter, shortly after the story was published, writing: “I hear there is a bunny boiler on the loose in UK.”

He then told one of his followers on the social media site that he had “no respect for anyone who sells a kiss ’n’ tell story for £25,000 and fills it with lies”.

He also denied claims that he gave Miss Evans the £20 gift set, joking “I don’t even shop in Morrisions”.

The very public spat erupted after Miss Evans gave a scathing account of her time with Mr Bannatyne in a newspaper  interview.

She claimed that following their break-up, he warned her not to cause trouble, or he would share explicit pictures of her. Miss Evans fumed: “I sent a message saying I wanted him to reimburse me for my childcare bill and we could go our separate ways.

“He told me I was causing trouble and that was when he made the threat about the  photos.

“I thought the betrayal and public humiliation of being cheated on was as bad as it would get, then he threatened me with something so personal, I was in complete shock,” she added.

As well as complaining she had to split the bill at restaurants and calling him a “womaniser”, she described her Christmas present from the mogul: “I reckon it was worth about £20, but I imagine he gets them for free. His office staff joked with me about how they had to wrap it for him. And when he gave it to me, it was in a Morrisons bag.”

Mr Bannatyne tweeted his defence from Paris where he is staying with new girlfriend  Nigora Whitehorn.

He also retweeted praise from some of his 732,000 followers, including Claire Reid, who wrote: “Actually couldn’t believe what I was reading.

“So many lies and her dignity gone all for some cash in the bank!”

Miss Whitehorn also tweeted: “I truly believe my man is the most genuine gentleman. Clearly someone is ready to sell her soul to devil to get the money!”