ESCAPE to the Chateau stars Dick and Angel Strawbridge have slammed claims they were axed from Channel 4 and have insisted they chose to leave of their own accord.
The couple appeared on Lorraine this morning where they took aim at speculation as they insisted it was all their own doing.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Channel 4 and the production companies behind their programme had made a conscious effort to part ways from Angel and Dick amid concerns over their conduct.
Leaked recordings appeared to show Angel in an angry rage at crew members as she blasted them as "c***s" in a shocking expletive-filled recording.
However, remaining defiant, the couple brushed off the controversy when chatting to regular Lorraine host Christine Lampard.
Questioning them about the drama surrounding the show's end, Christine said: "Sadly the show is now coming to an end, it's at that point, and we do know that there were a lot of headlines around as to why it was ending, how are you feeling about it now and where are you at?"
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64 year old Dick replied: "It's interesting because we were on Lorraine before Christmas [2021], explaining the end of the nine series. As a family, we made a decision that last year was going to be the finale of Escape to the Chateau so we finished.
"With that, we told everybody at the beginning of the year. That's now nearly two years ago now, everyone's known it was finishing.
"So when the stories sort of came and people started talking about the end of what we were doing, it wasn't news, it was something that had happened a long time in the past. We made the decision just not to get involved in any of the conversations."
45 year old Angel then drew a comparison to the Queen as she suggested that they did not feel the need to "explain" themselves surrounding the rumours.
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She told Christine: "Our Queen said: 'Never complain, never explain!' You know, I think that was just the best way because for us, none of it made sense. We had made that family decision a long time ago that it was the right time that Escape to the Chateau had come to its natural end."
Earlier this year a recording was leaked that showed Angel let rip at producers on the show and insist she was really "angry" at them and their behaviour before branding one a "f***ed up little c***".
Fans were left shocked by the audio which was unearthed by following rumours of bullying accusations from the set of the wildly popular reality show.
The publication first reported how Channel 4 had decided to suspend working with Angel and her husband Dick over concerns about their conduct whilst filming the show.
Escape to the Chateau ceased airing last year after nine seasons on screen.
Channel 4 confirmed it had cut ties with the couple after an investigation was launched into alleged clashes with show bosses.
Prior to the leaked recording, the broadcaster confirmed it will not be working with the reality couple again.
A source close to the series explained the relationship between the production company Two Rivers and Dick and Angel had deteriorated.
The unrest prompted Channel 4 to launch an independent investigation to find out what had been going on.
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The findings resulted in the broadcaster completely ending its relationship with Dick and Angel Strawbridge.