The wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden has made a sensational slip-up on US television, telling Oprah Winfrey that her husband had also been given the choice to be Secretary of State.

Jill Biden made the gaffe - admitting her husband had been offered the role which eventually went to Hillary Clinton - when the couple was interviewed by Winfrey in Washington, less than 24 hours before Barack Obama’s historic inauguration.

Mrs Biden, affectionately known as ‘Jilly’ to her husband, said she had encouraged him to accept the position of vice president because it meant spending more time at home with the family.

“Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president,” she said, immediately realising her gaffe as her embarrassed husband turned to her and said: “Shhhh!”.

As Oprah, and the audience, chuckled, the Vice President-elect then blushed, grimaced awkwardly and eventually gave his wife a hug, saying: “That's right … go ahead.”

Mrs Biden then went onto explain how she and her husband had discussed his options and why she convinced him to opt to be Mr Obama’s deputy.

"If you're secretary of state, you'll be away, we'll never see you, you know," she said.

"I'll see you at a state dinner once and awhile. But I said, if you are vice president, the entire family, because they worked so hard for the election, they can be involved. They can come to our home. They can go to events, they can be with us all the time. And that's what's important to us," she said.

The vice president becomes president of the US in the event of the death or incapacitation of the president. But the job carries few official duties compared with those of the secretary of state, who has a lead role in conducting foreign policy.

Mrs Clinton was at one point widely rumoured to be considered by Mr Obama for the vice presidential position, however she was passed over in favour of Mr Biden, and was last month given the role of Secretary of State.

Mr Obama's transition office did not immediately comment about whether Mr Biden was in fact offered both jobs, however Elizabeth Alexander, a spokeswoman for Mr Biden, issued a statement that said he had only been offered the vice presidency.

"Like anyone who followed the presidential campaign this summer, Dr Jill Biden knew there was a chance that President-elect Obama might ask her husband to serve in some capacity and that, given his background, the positions of vice president and secretary of state were possibilities," the statement said.

"Dr Biden's point to Oprah today was that being vice president would be a better fit for their family because they would get to see him more and get to participate in serving more. To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only - to be his running mate. And the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer," she said.

Mr Biden, who ran against Obama in the Democratic primary race, said he had agreed to be Obama’s deputy agreed after getting some assurances from the President-elect about his role.

“This is a partnership,” Mr Biden told Oprah. “He's president of the United States, but as I said to him when he asked me, I said, 'Barack, don't ask me unless the reason you're asking me is you're asking me for my judgment. I get to be the last guy in the room when you make every important decision. You're president. Any decision you make, I will back.’

“He said he wanted to have a confidant and somebody who wouldn't be a yes man. He's pretty sure about that last part,” Mr Biden added with a laugh.

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