Los Angeles, Mar 30 (IANS): TV series "Blue Peter" star Helen Skelton reportedly called her ex-boss a bully in a fiery radio interview Friday.

The 29-year-old TV presenter said Alex Leger, 65, pushed the show's hosts to the limit with his daredevil demands.

But Leger, who was on "Radio 4-Woman's Hour", a BBC programme with Skelton, laughed off her remarks and insisted he was just being a persistent boss.

"Leger, you push people till they break and you know it," thesun.co.uk quoted Skelton as saying.

"Leger - it's funny we call him a bully, in the best possible way - but he and I did a film which involved me taking on a beard of bees. My face was stung and swollen. And afterwards, do you remember, Leger, you came over and you said, 'The office wonder if we should do it again as they only went over your chest and neck and didn't quite cover your face'", added Skleton.

Leger, who produced the BBC's flagship kids' programme for 36 years said "I think I was joking."

But Skelton said: "I don't think you were."

The show's present host, Jenni Murray, also told Leger: "From what Skelton was saying, you were a bit of a bully and you did make them do horrible things."

"The tone of the interview was very light-hearted," said a BBC spokesman.