NICOLA Sturgeon has revealed she has never watched any of Alex Salmond’s TV shows on a Russian propaganda channel.

She claimed the programme was on at the wrong time of day, despite it being easy to record.

The First Minister also said she had only tuned in “occasionally” to his LBC radio output.

However she said she still took advice from her predecessor when “appropriate”.

The First Minister had an unprecedented falling out with her mentor late last year after he struck a deal to host a weekly show on the pro-Putin outlet RT.

RT is forced to register in the United States as an arm of the Russian government.

Even before the first episode aired, Mr Sturgeon said the channel “would not have been my choice”, and made it clear Mr Salmond had not consulted her on the move.

Ms Sturgeon and the whole of her cabinet have ruled out appearing on the show.

Despite clocking up eight episodes, Mr Sturgeon revealed she had also never seen it.

In an interview with ITV Border, she said: “Russia Today wouldn't be my choice of broadcaster but Alex will do his own thing and do it no doubt incredibly well.

“I've not seen his RT programme. It's on a Thursday morning, when I'm usually preparing for First Minister's Questions.”

The show is broadcast at 730am, but also at 630pm and 1130pm, and is available online.

Asked if she still took advice from Mr Salmond, the First Minister replied: “I will take advice from Alex Salmond periodically, regularly.

“He is somebody I have worked with for, what, 30 years. He is somebody whose views I will always value and always seek to take when I think that is appropriate.

"Equally I also take my own decisions. I've never shied away from doing that. I have made my views clear.”

She added: "I occasionally tune in to his radio show on a Sunday afternoon and I think he's quite an accomplished interviewer.”

The Alex Salmond Show debuted on RT on November 16 and immediately ran into controversy after Mr Salmond read out a series of tweets, ostensibly from the public.

However one was attributed to a Twitter account that had never posted anything, while another was one from a member of the show’s staff.

Following a complaint, the episode is now being investigated by the broadcasting regulator Ofcom to determine whether viewers were “materially misled”.

The programme is made by Slàinte Media Ltd, a company Mr Salmond formed with another former SNP MP, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, who is also a co-host and roving reporter.

Slàinte Media said last month it was “happy to cooperate with the Ofcom investigation” and “confident of a satisfactory outcome”.