Stormy Daniels has said she did not appear in Celebrity Big Brother because of a last-minute custody issue involving her daughter, and that her absence was not about money.

The American adult film star, who gained notoriety after suing President Donald Trump following an alleged affair, was expected to be in the line-up of the Channel 5 show.

It was widely reported that she had pulled out of CBB shortly before she was due to enter the house on Thursday evening because she had demanded extra money.

She was then scheduled to appear on ITV’s Loose Women on Friday, but pulled out at the last minute, instead speaking to panellist Jane Moore off screen, who relayed the details of their chat to the audience.

Presenter Kaye Adams said Daniels had arrived in the building and was keen to appear on the show, but was prevented from doing so because of legal issues.

Adams said negotiations for Daniels, 39, to appear on the show began at 8am on Friday morning, and that she arrived in the studio’s building just after 12pm.

Moore, who spoke to Daniels off-camera and took a photograph with her, told viewers: “This is her side of the story.

“She says that, late last night, she was due to be on Celebrity Big Brother and there was a custody development involving her daughter in America – she is in the middle of a divorce. She showed me an official email.

“She thought ‘I can’t commit’, she said being a mother comes first. What she wanted to do was sort that out.”

Moore said Daniels offered to appear on the Celebrity Big Brother live launch to explain the situation but was told she could not.

Moore added: “She says the stories about her asking for more money are rubbish.”

She continued: “She is very angry, she feels as though she’s had her power taken away from her. She wants to come on.”

Moore joked about the “joys of live television” and the last-minute change in their schedule.

Hollywood star Kirstie Alley, former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas, rogue trader Nick Leeson and footballer Jermaine Pennant were among the stars who entered the CBB house during the live launch episode.

The theme of the new series is Eye Of The Storm, and each of the housemates has been involved in their own “media storm”.

A representative for Channel 5 has been contacted by the Press Association.