Adrian Chiles has blasted critics of his Daybreak co-host Christine Bleakley.

He called the treatment of his on-screen partner "a disgrace" and insisted that Bleakley is a much more genuine person than her detractors seem to think.

Chiles told Live magazine: "It's a disgrace. She's been treated as a scheming, vindictive social climber. But she hasn't got it in her."

The 43-year-old also revealed that people's reactions upon seeing him in public have changed since he started hosting the much-maligned ITV breakfast show.

"People used to stop me on the street and say how much they liked a programme," he said. "Now they stop me and say, 'We watch it anyway,' with a look of pity on their faces."

Chiles recently admitted that he cannot bear the sight of himself on TV.

Source - Yahoo.