Angela Rayner repeatedly dodged questions about claims she said Sir Keir Starmer was "incapable of running a bath".
The Deputy Prime Minister was challenged on Sunday about the alleged remarks, which appear in a new book about Labour's time in opposition.
The book "Get In", by political journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire, claims Rayner texted the unflattering assessment of Starmer to a confidante.
But Rayner failed to give a direct denial, instead dismissing it as "tittle-tattle".
Rayner failed to give a direct denial, instead dismissing the allegations as "tittle-tattle"
PAWhen first asked about the comment, Rayner responded: "Well, I'm not... You know, there's a lot of things that were said in that book that I don't recognise, to be honest."
Given a second opportunity, she deflected again, stating: "It's tittle-tattle. I don't recognise what's said in that book."
On the third attempt, Rayner said: "There [were] lots of other things that people have said about me or anything else. And no, I don't recognise ever saying that to anybody."
"But we all have frustrations when we're at work sometimes, and I'm sure people have been frustrated with me at work sometimes," she told the BBC.
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The relationship between Labour's two most senior figures has had its tense moments in the past.
A notable incident occurred in 2021 when Starmer reportedly attempted to remove Rayner from her position following poor local election results.
The move proved unsuccessful, with Rayner instead emerging from the episode with an expanded portfolio of responsibilities.
Rayner acknowledged that she and the Prime Minister "don't agree on everything" but insisted he wanted to do his best for the country.
She defended Starmer's leadership during his first seven months in power, describing him as "absolutely" his own worst critic.
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed confidence in Starmer's commitment to delivering on Labour's general election promises.
Rayner defended Starmer's leadership during his first seven months in power, describing him as "absolutely" his own worst critic
PALabour has faced several challenges in recent months, including backlash over its National Insurance policy affecting businesses.
The party has also drawn criticism for proposed new taxes on family farms and plans to remove winter fuel payments from more than 10 million pensioners.
Starmer was forced to repay thousands of pounds in donations during a "freebies" scandal last autumn.
The Government has also seen three ministers depart the frontbench, with the most recent being Andrew Gwynne, a health minister, who was sacked on Saturday over offensive WhatsApp messages.
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