Barrowman kissed his ’bride’ at a mock Gretna Green during the ceremony at Celtic Park, with the scene praised as a snub to homophobia in Commonwealth countries.

“We thought this accentuated the values of Scotland and the diversity of Scotland,” said Grevemberg, who confirmed the kiss was planned.

“Some people may say (it was) bold, but I think confident,” he added.

“Gretna Green is a place where people elope. That moment was about people getting married. It’s all about love.”

Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Mike Hooper said: “There should be no discrimination on any grounds whatsoever. I thought the whole thing was a fantastic show.”

Grevemberg said the ceremony had been universally well received by the athletes.

“I really hope it expressed the warmth of Glasgow and Scotland’s welcome,” he said.

“The feedback that we received from the athletes was very, very positive. They felt the welcome was jubilant and engaging. I was delighted with that response.”

Ahead of the ceremony, there was a Tamil protest outside Celtic Park against the inclusion of Sri Lanka in the event.

Grevemberg said: “We’ve made a very strong commitment to allow peaceful protests. The feedback we received last night from Tamil protesters was they were happy with the opportunity.”