Carol Vorderman claims she has dropped all of her ‘bad’ friends in what appeared to be a thinly veiled swipe at Baroness Mone.
Michelle Mone, known as ‘Baroness Bra’ after making her fortune with lingerie firm Ultimo, was an ex-confidante of the former Countdown presenter and once praised Ms Vorderman for helping her get through her divorce from her first husband.
In a new interview discussing her personal life, Ms Vorderman reaffirmed that the Baroness, who has been embroiled in controversy over the actions of her husband’s company during the Covid pandemic, was no longer in her life.
She told the Mirror: ‘I’ve had lots of mini-breaks and holidays with friends — gay friends, female friends I’ve had for 50 years, or some I’ve known for 10. I’ve been back to horse racing, I’ve travelled to the States, to France, to everywhere, actually.
‘Going back and seeing old friends has been wonderful. And the right friends, too. I think I’ve managed to drop all the bad ones.
‘It’s easy to forget how much your old friends love you. I’ve had messages to say, “Oh, come and stay in our villa”, or “Come and visit us on our boat”. It’s lovely to be so loved, really.’
Lady Mone, 54, has been embroiled in controversy for several years over defective surgical gowns supplied to the NHS by PPE Medpro, owned by her husband Doug Barrowman, at the height of the Covid pandemic.
Carol Vorderman claims she has dropped all of her ‘bad’ friends in what appeared to be a thinly veiled swipe at Baroness Mone (pictured: the pair at Cheltenham in 2012)
Michelle Mone, known as ‘Baroness Bra’, was an ex-confidante of the former Countdown presenter
She has recently come under further fire after it emerged that Medpro had failed to repay the £145 million it owes taxpayers.
Health secretary Wes Streeting blasted Medpro last week for failing to pay – and insisted the government will continue to pursue the company until it gets the money back.
In the past, Lady Mone has accused previous governments of using her as a scapegoat for the PPE fiasco during the pandemic.
But Ms Vorderman, 64, has pulled no punches when discussing her role in the scandal, across several TV interviews.
‘I cannot talk about useless PPE without also talking about Michelle Mone who was brought into the House of Lords, as a baroness, by David Cameron,’ she told This Morning in January 2023.
‘We know she has taken leave of absence without losing the Tory whip to start with because she was actively involved, as it goes, with a company called PPE Medpro.
‘Now Michelle Mone, I knew, many years ago and then dropped her like a stone as soon as I realised what kind of person she was.
‘Sue me, Michelle,’ she added, staring straight into the camera.
But while discussing upcoming holidays with pals, Ms Vorderman seemed to confirm the Baroness was no longer in her group of friends (pictured: the duo in 2010)
Ms Vorderman and Lady Mone pictured in 2010. Old friend Ms Vorderman has pulled no punches when talking about her role in the scandal, across several TV interviews
And she previously told Good Morning Britain: ‘I knew her many years ago for about 18 months and dropped her as a friend because I realised just how much she lied.’
The 25 million gowns supplied by Medpro during the pandemic were deemed unfit for use after failing sterility tests.
On October 1, the High Court ordered Medpro to pay £145.6 million – comprising £122m in damages and interest of £23.6m – by 4pm on October 14.
Interest at eight per cent per year will be added until the final bill is paid.
PPE Medpro entered administration on September 30. The company’s most recent accounts show assets of just £666,000, suggesting that taxpayers are unlikely to get all their money back.
Barristers for PPE Medpro claimed the firm had been ‘singled out for unfair treatment’ and accused the Government of ‘buyer’s remorse’, claiming the gowns became defective because of the conditions in which they were kept.
Lady Mone criticised the judgment, calling it ‘nothing less than an establishment win for the Government in a case that was too big for them to lose’, while Mr Barrowman said it was a ‘travesty of justice’.
A spokesman for Medpro said this month that it was willing to negotiate a settlement, but claimed the government had ‘made no effort to respond’.
The baroness has been embroiled in controversy over defective surgical gowns supplied to the NHS by PPE Medpro, owned by her husband Doug Barrowman, during the Covid pandemic
Lady Mone pictured with her husband Doug Barrowman in 2017. The 25 million gowns supplied by Medpro during the pandemic were deemed unfit for use after failing sterility tests
However, it is understood the Department of Health is in contact with PPE Medpro’s administrators.
It comes as Lady Mone, who was once was involved in a dozen companies, applied to have her last UK business struck off and dissolved.
In an application filed on Monday at Companies House, she wrote: ‘I, as the majority of directors, apply for this company to be struck off the register.’
Lady Mone created the lingerie brand Ultimo and sold it in 2014.
She closed MMI Global and Michelle Mone Interiors in June.