Susanna Reid reacted to Katie Price's husband Lee Andrews after he claimed he had been “captured at gunpoint” and wrongly accused of spying while detained in the UAE.
The 43-year-old broke his silence on social media on Tuesday for the first time since disappearing for several weeks, thanking wife for helping secure his release from prison.
In a video posted online, Andrews said: “Hi everyone, this is Lee. I've been missing now for several weeks. I can tell you I'm now safe and healthy and with my wife.”
“I was taken close to the Hatta-Oman border by men at gunpoint and then I was captured by men with assault rifles,” he alleged.
Before claiming: “They did slap me around a little bit, little s***s, and I was hand-tied, shackled and also had a hood over my head.
“From there I was taken to a black site and I had no use of my phone and from what I know it was an extended arm of the National Guard and that's all I can reveal at the moment.
“I have signed disclaimers now with state security and from there I was put into the system. At no point have I faced anything to do with fraud allegations or any criminal activities such as that.”
However, UAE officials disputed Andrews' account, saying he had spent the previous four weeks in custody on suspicion of fraud, rather than being detained over allegations of espionage.
His claims became a talking point on Wednesday's instalment of Good Morning Britain, where entertainment correspondent Richard Arnold discussed the story with presenters Susanna Reid and Martin Lewis.
Reacting to Andrews' version of events, Reid quipped: “I think my eyes just rolled out of my head.”
Despite the official response, Andrews doubled down on his account in the video.
He claimed: “Because of the tensions and things happening in the region, and me being so close to the border, this is why I was suspected of espionage and held in a state security building without the use of a telephone and any right to shower, contact or speak to any of my family, including the embassy or my wife.”
“So thank you to Katie for making such a noise where the UAE actually listened and let me go.
“From there, I did have a civil case in Dubai, which led to me going into the mainstream prison during the Arabic holiday Eid and I was able to secure my release.
“I’m here now. So thank you for everyone for listening and loved blessings to everyone.”
Price appeared to accept her husband's version of events, reposting the video on Instagram alongside the message: “My husband is back. I love you.”
Andrews was released from Dubai's Al Awir prison last week, after which Price flew to the UAE to reunite with him. The pair shared an emotional reunion over the weekend.
The couple married in Dubai just nine days after meeting through Instagram in January.
Court documents previously revealed Andrews was facing multiple legal issues in Dubai, with reports stating fines totalling around £140,000 had to be resolved before his release.
While in prison, Andrews reportedly asked Price to launch an online fundraiser to help pay the money.
According to reports, she replied: “No one will do that for you, Lee, trust me. Everyone hates you.”
