China has long used pandas as part of its diplomacy globally, deploying the bears in loan programmes as expressions of goodwill.

Asked if she would raise objections with her London counterparts, the minister said there was continued engagement with the UK Government.

Harry and several other household names lost their cases over alleged unlawful information gathering at publisher Associated Newspapers.

Channel 4 axed the reality dating show following an external review which was triggered by ‘serious allegations of wrongdoing’.