A German countess who was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s closest confidantes for 20 years was able to win a place at the heart of Whitehall.

Nicole Junkermann, 50, stepped down as a trustee of a cancer charity last week after revelations of her friendship with Epstein, during which she called him ‘daddy’ and ‘baby’.

The glamorous London-based technology investor convinced then health secretary Matt Hancock to appoint her to the government’s influential ‘Health Tech Advisory Board’ in 2018, it can be revealed.

And she even attempted to engineer a meeting between Epstein and former prime minister David Cameron.

The ex-model and entrepreneur was charged with creating a ‘culture of innovation’ and with guiding the government ‘on its mission to transform technology in the NHS.’

She was photographed standing directly behind Mr Hancock at the board’s inaugural meeting.

Last week Ms Junkermann stepped down as a trustee of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Hundreds of emails released by the US Department of Justice suggest Epstein began corresponding with her in May 2009, two months before he was released from jail having served 13 months for soliciting sex from girls as young as 14. 

German countess Nicole Junkermann (pictured at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012) was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s closest confidantes for 20 years. She was able to win a place at the heart of Whitehall

Junkermann (third from right, back row) convinced then health secretary Matt Hancock (centre, front row) to appoint her to the government’s influential ‘Health Tech Advisory Board’ in 2018

Junkermann (left) married Italian Count Ferdinando Brachetti Peretti (right) in 2017. Mr Peretti is part of a wealthy dynasty that controls the Italian energy giant API

Ms Junkermann described the paedophile financier as ‘Mr Wonderful’ in one message in which she suggested she visit him once he was out of jail.

A 2003 diary entry read: ‘I cannot sleep, I think about Jeffrey. There are few people in my life which I want to spend time with – he is one of them.’

By 2011 the pair appeared to have become infatuated with each other. Discussing an investment she was mulling, she asked the shamed financier: ‘Daddy, How are u? Should I hedge now at 1.37 or wait? Kiss.’

The emails also show Epstein offered her a job, saying she would be ‘very helpful to me’.

In July 2017 Ms Junkermann married Italian Count Ferdinando Brachetti Peretti, 66.

In 2018 she wrote to Epstein: ‘I am hosting a lunch on the west coast in March for David Cameron, would you like to join?’

She continued writing to Epstein until 2019, months before his final arrest and death in custody in New York.

A spokesman for the countess said: ‘Nicole was completely deceived and misled by him [Epstein].’