Peter Mandelson has blamed his addiction to publicity for the failure of his Cabinet career.

The Hartlepool MP and confidant of the prime minister, who has twice been forced to resign from the Cabinet, told the BBC that at first he enjoyed his media image.

"I was presented as powerful; I was presented as this guy who was sitting on Blair's shoulder, whispering into his ear the whole time.

"And, you know, I committed the mortal sin with good publicity, or extensive publicity: instead of just enjoying it, I inhaled and I think I probably inhaled a bit too much."

Mandelson again protested his innocence over the Hinduja passport affair.

"What happened in all that was a sort of a chasm opened up in front of me over this allegation of cash for passports, which was complete nonsense.

"It could have been easily dealt with, if only we had been on top of the facts and not muddled through and just been precise in what we said to the press. But we weren't."

He went on to describe the scene in Downing Street when the prime minister said he would have to resign for a second time.

"I said, 'Are you going to destroy my entire political career, if not my life, on the basis of one morning's newspaper headlines?' He looked pained, very pained - as I am sure he was - and said, 'I'm afraid I don't think I have any alternative.'

Mandelson's interview will be broadcast on the programme Tabloid Tales on May 8.