Bill Clinton has insisted that Hillary has never once asked him whether she should seek the presidency in 2016.
The former president also said it was untrue that his wife felt "entitled" to the White House. Hillary is considered to be the front runner for the Democratic nomination, but she has yet to formally declare an intention to run.
However the former secretary of state jokingly dropped a hint on Tuesday when she told Jon Stewart on the Daily Show that she would like an office with "fewer corners".
Speaking to BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis on Thursday evening, Bill Clinton said he has told his wife "repeatedly" it was up to her to make the decision whether to run or not."If she wants my opinion, I'll give it to her," he said.
A disbelieving Maitlis cut in: "She hasn't asked? I don't believe that she hasn't asked you for you opinion as to wether she should run."
Clinton replied: "Absolutely not." He added: "It's her time. She gets to decide. And if I can help, I will. She can tell me what she wants me to do."
The former president said he had struck a deal with his wife when she was elected as a Senator for New York in 2001. "We were married a very long time, when she was always in effect deferring to my political career, even when she was involved in policy making.
"I told her when she got elected to the Senate from New York, she had given me 26 years, and so I intend to give her 26 years. Whatever she wanted to do was fine with me ... if she wanted to know my opinion I would tell her."
Clinton observed that for the last 14 years his wife has had more "hands on" political experience than he has. "We just passed the half way mark. I've got to live another 12 years or so, so I guess I'll have to live to be 80 to be free at last," he joked.
Clinton also insisted accusations that Hillary, how narrowly lost out to Obama in 2008, felt she was owed the presidency were false. "All these suggestions she feels entitled to it and all that, that's not true," he said. "We have been in too many races in almost 40 years now to believe in any such thing as a sure deal."