Hillary Clinton: I felt like I never wanted to leave the house again

Hillary Clinton has admitted she felt as if she wanted to "never leave the house again" after losing to Donald Trump.

In a candid speech, her first since conceding the election, Mrs Clinton said she was disappointed "more than I can ever express" after her shock defeat.

"I will admit coming here tonight wasn't easy for me - there have been a few times this week when I wanted to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again," she said at a charity event in Washington DC.

Clinton, 69, was on the verge of tears as she told the crowd that she wished she could tell her late mother that her daughter would grow up to "win more than 62 million votes for president of the United States."

The former secretary of state won the popular vote but lost to Mr Trump in the Electoral College system last Tuesday, ending her lifelong ambition of becoming the first female president.

Trump's victory stunned the political establishment and alarmed Democrats, ethnic minorities and human rights groups following an often divisive 18-month campaign.

The president-elect has done little to quell those fears since his victory, appointing the controversial Steve Bannon as his chief strategist and using Twitter to attack his critics.

Clinton used her appearance to urge her supporters not to lose hope under a President Trump and to continue fighting for the "values we share".

"I know this isn’t easy," the former Democratic nominee said.

"I know a lot of people have asked ourselves whether America is the country they thought it was. Our divisions have been laid bare.

"But please listen to me: America is worth it. Our children are worth it. Believe in our country. Fight for our values and never, ever give up."