London, May 17: For months, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy had avoided to confirm the news, but a cryptic television interview by the French First Lady has fuelled speculation that she is pregnant.

The 43-year-old former supermodel, who is reportedly expecting twins with President Nicholas Sarkozy, refused to confirm or deny she was expecting after TF1 presenter Jean-Pierre Pernaut `congratulated' her, reports the Daily Mail.

Bruni, who has fiercely guarded her privacy, avoided confirming anything and without saying what for, she smiled and replied: ''I congratulate you too,'' before the interview ended.

She was widely expected to announce news of her pregnancy on the top lunch time news show and many Twitter fans watching took her response as tacit confirmation.

Bruni was due to appear at the Cannes Film Festival last week where her film Midnight in Paris opened the event, but cited ''personal and professional'' for not attending. (ANI)