The producer vehemently denies the rumours of inappropriate behaviour (Pictures: Getty / Nickalodeon)

Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider has addressed his exit from the company in 2018 and denied behaving inappropriately.

The 55-year-old dismissed ‘ridiculous’ rumours that he was verbally abusive and had been inappropriate around child actors.

It comes after speculation on social media that the producer and writer used young actors in his programmes to satisfy foot fetish fantasies – something which Schneider vehemently denies.

Some social media users found the images of actors exposing their bare feet taken from show iCarly disturbing as they feature minors. None were featured in sexual or erotic situations.

Speaking to The New York Times, he accused social media companies of pushing ‘any lie’ and addressed his exit from the broadcaster.

‘The comedy was totally innocent,’ he said, saying that feet were used as comic tools and denying that he ever tried to sexualize his actors.

Jennette McCurdy and Miranda Cosgrove starred in iCarly from 2007 to 2012 (Picture: Nickelodeon)

Schneider left Nickelodeon in 2018 after an investigation into his on-set conduct by Nickelodeon’s parent company, ViacomCBS. The investigation didn’t find any evidence of sexual misconduct, but some of his colleagues accused him of being verbally abusive.