Shane Warne: Gina Stewart, the Kiwi dubbed 'world's hottest gran', claims she dated legend before he died

Gina Stewart, better known as the "world's hottest gran", has made a startling revelation regarding the late great Australian cricketer Shane Warne.

Warne, 52, was found dead in a villa on Koh Samui in early March, prompting an outpouring of grief in both Australia and around the world.

Warne is regarded as one of the finest cricketers in history, claiming 708 Test wickets at 25.41 in 145 matches between 1992 and 2007. No Australian has taken more international wickets than the Victorian.

More than five months on from his death, Stewart has claimed she was dating the Spin King before his passing. The Queensland grandmother-of-one, who is originally from New Zealand, says she was heartbroken after hearing the news of his death.

Stewart, 51, says the pair originally began chatting online for months in 2018 before eventually meeting up in person.

"I have been devastated over the last few months," Stewart said to the tabloid Daily Star.

"The world lost a legend and I lost a friend and confidante. The unthinkable happened.

"I was dating Shane but it wasn't well-known. He wanted to keep it personal."

Stewart says the pair first met following a game Warne had played in late 2018 and that the two "hit it off straight away".

"We hit it off straight away and spent the whole night talking and getting to know each other," she claimed.

"We became extremely close and I made a promise to him that I would keep our story out of the public eye."

The Daily Star reported that they had sighted Instagram messages between the pair that confirm their 2018 meeting.

Stewart says she and Warne were an item. Photo / Instagram

Stewart says she had to be extra cautious due to paparazzi sticking around where she lived, so much so she was forced to leave her home because of the attention.

She says the duo had to get creative with hats and sunglasses when going out to avoid any and all suspicion.

"This is the first time I've spoken publicly about this and I always abided by his wishes and kept my life private," she said.

"I couldn't speak until now and I just want people to know he was a truly caring humanitarian."

Warne's sudden death in Thailand rocked the sporting world and prompted an outpouring of emotion on social media and beyond.

Former players, rivals and pundits have paid tribute to Warne, a former captain of Australia's One-Day International side and vice-captain of the Test team.

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald