Boris Johnson has said he "categorically" didn't know an event in the Downing Street garden was breaching the rules.
He was speaking in an interview with Beth Rigby on Sky News, his first public appearance since last Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions.
Mr Johnson denied he had lied that he had not been told it was outside the rules, as his former aide Dominic Cummings, has claimed. Asked directly if he had lied, he said: "No Beth. But I want to begin by repeating my apologies to everybody for misjudgements that I've made, that we may have made in No10 and beyond.
"I do know how infuriating it must be for people up and down the country in view of the huge sacrifices people have made, kept discipline, followed the rules and guidance and done the right thing."
He said "categorically" he didn't see the email from Martin Reynolds before it emerged in public and said "I can't believe that we would have gone ahead with an event that people were saying were against the rules".
"Nobody warned me against the rules, I'm categorical about that. I'd remember that."
Asked if he would resign if Ms Gray uncovered a different version of events, Mr Johnson replied: "We'll have to see what she says. I think she should be given the space to get on and conclude her inquiry".
"I want to say to you on that point, nobody told me what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something that wasn't a work event. As I said in the Commons when I went out into that garden I thought I was attending a work event. I think it's very important we see what Sue Gray and the inquiry says and I will be coming back to the Commons once it's reported and I'll be telling people more".
Asked if Dominic Cummings had lied, he said: "I can tell you categorically nobody told me and nobody said this was something that was against the rules or we were doing something that wasn't a work event because frankly I can't imagine why on earth it would have gone ahead or been allowed to go ahead. My memory of this event is going out into the garden for about 25 minutes where I implicitly thought it was a work event, talking to staff, thanking staff, I can't remember how many. I then went back to my office and continued my work.
"I do humbly apologise to people for misjudgements that were made," he told Sky News' Beth Rigby.
Asked if he was passing the blame he said he was "absolutely categorical" no-one told him the event was a breach of the rules. Something his former aide Dominic Cummings has alleged.
"I'm heartily heartily sorry for misjudgements in No10 but what I do need to do is wait for the conclusion of the inquiry but before then to keep going with what we're doing".
He said if he had "his time again" he should have told people or looked around and said we should go back indoors.
Mr Johnson said he "hoped people understand the circumstances we were operating in".
He was asked if he was "very worried" he will be ousted by his MPs. To that, he replied: "I think it's very important that people who do my job should be focused the whole time on what we're delivering for the UK public".
Asked again if he was worried, he declined to answer.
When asked if he thought the PM should resign if he had lied, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor and man touted to try replace Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak said "the ministerial code is clear on these matters".
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