Michelle Obama has said the reason she is not always seen with her husband Barack is because they “don’t Instagram every minute of their lives”, once again dismissing rumours surrounding their marriage.

The former first lady, 61, dispelled rumours of a split from the former US president, 63, saying they simply are too old to constantly broadcast their relationship on social media.

Speculation surrounding the pair’s relationship began when Mrs Obama declined to accompany her husband to a series of high-profile state events, fuelling suspicion that they may have separated.

“The fact that people don’t see me going out on a date with my husband sparks rumours of the end of our marriage,” she told NPR’s Wild Card podcast.

“It’s like, ‘OK, so we don’t Instagram every minute of our lives. We are 60. We’re 60, y’all’. You just are not gonna know what we’re doing every minute of the day.”