CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has said he found criticism of his wife “very upsetting” as he compared himself to Will Smith in “having our wives attacked”.

The Chancellor has come under pressure over his wife, Akshata Murthy, having a 0.91% stake in Infosys, a company founded by her billionaire father, which continues to operate in Russia.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newscast podcast, Sunak joked: “Someone said, ‘Joe Root, Will Smith, and me – not the best of weekends for any of us’.

The National:

“But I feel, on reflection, both Will Smith and me having our wives attacked – at least I didn’t get up and slap anybody, which is good.”

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak grilled on Sky News about wife's alleged ties to Russia

Sunak added: “You know, I think it’s totally fine for people to take shots at me. It’s fair game. I’m the one sitting here and that’s what I signed up for.

“Actually, it’s very upsetting and, I think, wrong for people to try and come at my wife, and you know, beyond that actually, with regard to my father-in-law, for whom I have nothing but enormous pride and admiration for everything that he’s achieved, and no amount of attempted smearing is going to make me change that because he’s wonderful and has achieved a huge amount, as I said, I’m enormously proud of him.”

The National: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at the OscarsWill Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith at the Oscars

Smith stormed on stage during Sunday night's Oscars in reaction to a joke made by comedian Chris Rock which referred to his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaved head.

Smith slapped Rock before sitting back down and telling the host to keep his wife's name out of his mouth.

Pinkett-Smith had experienced hair loss due to the health condition alopecia.

She has spoken candidly about her struggle with alopecia, joking on Instagram in December that she would decorate a new bald patch with rhinestones.