London Evening Standard/London

Sally Bercow yesterday insisted she has “nothing to be ashamed of” after being photographed kissing a mystery man at a West End nightclub.

The 44-year-old wife of House of Commons Speaker John Bercow declared she “doesn’t need to apologise” to her husband despite being photographed locking lips with a man she described as a “friend” at a birthday party on Saturday night.

While Westminster is used to the spirited Sally Bercow causing controversy with her outspoken tweets, tattoos and appearances on TV shows like Celebrity Big Brother, yesterday’s spread of photographs in The Sun will raise eyebrows.

Speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard, she said she “can’t wait until John finishes being Speaker” so she can live her life away from the media spotlight.

When asked if she was still with her husband, who earns £142,162-a-year, she said: “Of course I’m still together (with John), I don’t need to apologise to John, I’ve done nothing wrong.

“My marriage is my business. I couldn’t give a damn what people think. Let people judge me if they want. It was when I went out on Saturday. I’m still very much with John, I’m sitting here in the flat with John and I did nothing wrong. I went out for a friend’s birthday party.

“I love my husband, he is the most important man in my life. Yes, I go out and have fun, but I have done nothing to be ashamed of.

“The guy in the picture is a friend. No marriage is perfect but ours works for us. We’ve known each other for 25 years and been married for 11. I wish the media would stop judging — all marriages are different.”

As Speaker, John  Bercow is the highest authority in the House of Commons and calls unruly MPs to order. Sally has made headlines by appearing on reality television, posing for a picture wrapped only in a bedsheet and being sued for making unguarded remarks on Twitter. She was the first to be voted off Celebrity Big Brother in 2011 and was made to pay £15,000 to Lord McAlpine last year over her infamous “innocent face” tweet.

She posted the defamatory tweet two days after a Newsnight report last November wrongly implicated the late Tory peer in allegations of child sex abuse.

On Monday night, following the publication of the nightclub pictures, she tweeted “*innocent, totally out of context face*”.

The photographed kiss took place at a party at the No. 5 Cavendish Square club in Mayfair where other guests included stars from TV show The Only Way Is Essex. Sally wore a brown wig over her normally blonde hair. One onlooker told The Sun: “She appeared unsteady on her feet. She didn’t seem to care who was watching her. Perhaps she thought the wig would disguise her.” Sally left the club alone shortly after 2am.