Nicola Sturgeon was last night accused of going on a 'foul-mouthed rant' at the Edinburgh Fringe after she swore in front of a packed crowd – then announcing she had a hangover.
The former First Minister was being interviewed by journalist Iain Dale when she claimed a book written by one of her critics was 's***' despite admitting she hadn't read it.
She also told the 600-strong audience, who had paid £20 a ticket to see her, that she had a hangover after enjoying 'quite a night' with a friend the previous evening.
Last month the former SNP leader was famously photographed enjoying a boozy al fresco lunch with lawyer friend Claire Mitchell at a luxury bistro in Notting Hill, London.
Within minutes of yesterday's event starting at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Ms Sturgeon told the crowd she was 'a bit tired' after having a night out.
Nicola Sturgeon swore in front of the packed audience at the Edinburgh Fringe, then admitted she was feeling hungover
She said: 'I'm a bit tired. I was out with a friend last night and it turned into quite a night. Last night was the first drop of alcohol I had had for two or three weeks.'
And, reaching for a glass of water on the table before her, Ms Sturgeon added: 'So I have a wee bit of a hangover.'
During the hour-long event Ms Sturgeon accused two of her most vocal critics – Harry Potter author JK Rowling, and former Edinburgh MP Joanna Cherry, of being 'obsessed' with her.
The 56-year-old said Ms Cherry 'seems to have an obsession with me that is not reciprocated', while of Ms Rowling she said: 'My god, that woman is obsessed with me.
'I don't spend as much time thinking about her as she does thinking about me.'
Asked if she had read the former MP's book, which makes a number of sensational claims about the SNP under her leadership, the former first minister said she had not.
'One of the things that distresses me most the older I get is that realisation of all of the books I'll never get to read' she said.
'Why on earth would I spend time reading one that's s***?'
During the event Ms Sturgeon continued to claim ignorance of her swindler husband Peter Murrell's crimes, which spanned the entirety of their marriage and have resulted in him being jailed for five years for stealing £400,000 from the SNP.
She also confirmed, as first reported by The Mail on Sunday, that she would not visit Murrell in prison.
Responding, Ms Cherry said: 'It appears that the criticisms JK Rowling and I have made of Nicola Sturgeon's politics and her behaviour, in particular her attack on the rights of women, have so discomforted her that rather than addressing them, she has resorted to a foul-mouthed rant.'
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