Rishi Sunak says he went without Sky TV as a child so his parents could pay for his education in the interview that he left D-day commemorations early to conduct.
The Prime Minister explained his parents wanted to put everything into his education, adding there were “lots of things” he wanted as a child that he could not have.
The Conservative leader also faced fresh pressure over his D-day early exit after he was filmed saying the events he did not attend ran over time as he arrived for the in depth interview with ITV.
Mr Sunak issued a public apology after skipping the main international event in Normandy in order to record the TV interview.
In the 30-minute sit down interview with journalist Paul Brand Mr Sunak laughed awkwardly as he was asked “have you ever gone without something?”
He replied: “Yes, I mean, my family emigrated here with very little. And that's how I was raised. I was raised with the values of hard work.”
When pushed on what he had gone without as a child, the Prime Minister said: “Oh, we went without lots of things because my parents wanted to put everything into our education and that was a priority.”
He added that he had to sacrifice “lots of things” before awkwardly laughing.
As Mr Brand pressed him to give an example, he said: “All sorts of things like lots of people. There'll be all sorts of things that I would've wanted as a kid that I couldn't have.”
He added: “Famously, Sky TV, so that was something that we never had growing up actually.”
Mr Sunak has previously described how his parents borrowed money and took on extra jobs to ensure the children all had the best education possible, sending him to the exclusive, fee-paying Winchester College where he became head boy.
The interview, which will be screened on ITV at 7pm on Wednesday, has put the spotlight back on Mr Sunak’s early exit from the D-day 80th anniversary commemorations.
Footage of him arriving at the interview showed him apologising for keeping Mr Brand waiting, saying that the commemorations he did attend "just ran over".
The timing of the interview on June 6 was suggested by the Conservative Party because Mr Sunak had already planned to leave Normandy before the major event attended by world leaders including Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron.
When asked about the event Mr Sunak added: "it was incredible" but it "all just ran over".
The Liberal Democrats have said the clip “is proof that Rishi Sunak simply didn't care enough to stay in Normandy”.
Treasury spokesperson Sarah Olney said: "How he brushes this off is frankly insulting.
"Rishi Sunak does not deserve to be Prime Minister.
"Honouring the sacrifice of our veterans should be a privilege, instead Sunak treated it as an inconvenience."
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suggested the Prime Minister had chosen to miss the international event because no British veterans were there.
He told Sky News: "He was there meeting British veterans. The part that he didn't attend had no British veterans at it at all.
"He has rightly issued his apology for it."
Mr Sunak has previously insisted he "absolutely didn't mean to cause anyone any hurt or upset" and "I just hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me".
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron was the senior UK politician at the event on Omaha Beach in Mr Sunak's absence.
