Carol Vorderman has said she's been called "every name under the sun" following her candid revelations about her polyamorous lifestyle. The 65-year-old has multiple "special friends", all of whom she says are fully aware of one another.

The former Countdown presenter champions this type of relationship, as she "couldn't think of anything worse" than committing to just one partner. The broadcaster presently has "three special friends", with one residing in America.

Since going public about her love life arrangement, Carol has encountered considerable criticism.

Speaking about the negative reaction during an appearance on Channel 5's A Night In With Sally Lindsay, she said: "I tell you what's interesting, obviously when I came out and said this, that I have special friends and that's fine, everyone's single, you get called all the names under the sun.

"And you think, 'Oh god, here we go again' but I've stuck by it."

Since discussing her relationship structure publicly, she said numerous other women have reached out to share they follow a comparable lifestyle.

"And now they're making shows about things like that [too]," she added, before rejecting the suggestion that she is a "trailblazer" for polyamory. She added: "I don't want to settle down, I'm very happy as I am.

"It's not against anyone and it's not saying that if an independent woman [wants to do that, it's wrong], because we're really the first, sort of, generation where we have financial independence and that makes a huge difference.

"I'm not saying people shouldn't get married, I'm not saying people shouldn't live together, but for me, I couldn't think of anything worse right now, I really couldn't."

Carol continued: "I've got lots of great mates, I have a great social life, I don't need anyone for money.

"I don't need anyone for anything really, other than the nice bits," she added, laughing.

The presenter has walked down the aisle twice previously, first to Christopher Mather in 1985, which ended the following year.

Four years on, she married Patrick King, with whom she has two children. The pair divorced in 2000.

Carol has revealed the collapse of her second marriage led her to conclude she no longer wished to commit to one person long-term.

Speaking recently on The Vanessa Feltz Show, the Pride of Britain host explained she and Patrick "were blissfully happy and then suddenly we weren't".

"I got to my 50s and I thought, I don't really want to settle down," she added.

"My children were older and I'm totally financially independent. I've got great friends. I have a brilliant social life, I love laughing, I love going on holiday with my friends. I'm invited all around the world to go and stay with people. So that's what I do."