Nicola Sturgeon claims rumours about her personal life were ‘part of the reason’ she resigned 

Nicola Sturgeon has claimed extraordinary internet rumours about her personal life were ‘part of the reason’ she stepped down as First Minister.

Speaking in the wake of her shock resignation, Ms Sturgeon yesterday said scurrilous social media gossip had prompted her to seek more privacy.

In particular, she shot down online claims that she was the proud owner of a global property portfolio, as well as being a ‘secret lesbian’.

In one account, users say that she engaged in an extra-marital relationship with a female French diplomat. Some of the rumours allege the pair bought tennis legend Judy Murray’s old house to use as a love nest.

And other wild claims have suggested Ms Sturgeon is able to withhold the ‘truth’ from the public by virtue of a court-imposed ‘super-injunction’.

But speaking on a new BBC podcast, Nicola – The Person, the former First Minister has debunked the outlandish cyber theories, saying: ‘I read accounts of my life on social media and I think, “You know, it is so much more glamorous sounding and so much more exciting”.’ 

Asked: ‘Which French diplomat are you having an affair with?’ she laughed and responded: ‘I’ll tell you off camera which one it is supposed to be but whichever one it is we’ve actually had a laugh about it.’

Taking a more serious tone Ms Sturgeon did admit that perhaps the gossip got to her.

Saying it is ‘maybe part of the reason’ that she quit, she said: ‘I’m not naive, I’m not of the view that I will step down one day and be completely anonymous the next day, I understand the realities of what I have done and I’ll still be in parliament, but I want to have a bit more privacy, I want to have a bit more anonymity and I just want to protect some of what people take for granted in their lives that I’ve forgotten to have.’