French elections

Gay affair rumours in French election race: Favourite is forced to deny he is enjoying extra-marital liaisons with radio chief

The current favourite to become the next president of France has been forced to deny rumours that he is enjoying an extra-marital gay affair with a high-profile media chief.

Emmanuel Macron, the 39-year-old former economy minister, has been rumoured to be seeing Mathieu Gallet, the 40-year-old boss of Radio France.

This is despite Mr Macron being married for the last decade to Brigitte Trogneux, who is 20 years older than him.

Addressing the rumours head on during a presidential campaign rally on Monday night, Mr Macron said: ‘I am who I am – I have never had anything to hide.

‘I hear people saying that I have a secret life or something. It’s not nice for Brigitte. Because I share all my days and nights with her, she asks me how I manage it.’

On Sunday, Jean-Luc Melenchon, one of Mr Macron’s rivals to become president in May, used a hologram of himself at a rally in Paris.