The remaining Conservative leadership candidates are not "complete fruit loops", two of the party's Scottish MPs have insisted.
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick progressed to the final stage of the Tory leadership contest after party MPs eliminated Cleverly on Wednesday in a shock result.
Andrew Bowie, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, defended the candidates amid suggestions it was a "surge to the right" for the Conservatives.
The former government minister is backing Ms Badenoch to replace Rishi Sunak.
On BBC 5 Live, the former government minister was quizzed on public perceptions of the leadership hopefuls.
Presenter Matt Chorley said he had been "inundated" with responses following the leadership announcement.
One listener asked: "When will the Tories stop picking leaders who are complete fruit loops?"
He replied: "No, absolutely not. I can categorically confirm I do not think the candidates are fruit loops."
He said comments that the party was lurching to the right was "nonsense".
"The idea that the party is lurching to the right, I don't think is the case," he said.
Mr Bowie is one of five Scottish Tory MPs and serves on the party's front bench as shadow veterans minister and shadow energy security minister.
Meanwhile, Dumfries and Galloway MP John Cooper, who is backing Mr Jenrick, denied the candidates would try to "out right wing each other" and were "utterly unelectable".
Mr Cooper said: "I don't agree with that at all. This narrative that Kemi and Rob are both extreme right is nonsense.
"I mean, what we're talking about here, and the members will get a vote on this, we're looking for common ground and a lot of people are very concerned about immigration but it's not obsession."
Mr Cooper added: "It's all down to the membership and I think this is the contest that the membership probably wanted.
"I think both Kemi and Rob enjoy huge support in the membership and I think this is probably the campaign they wanted and neither of them fruit loops."
He added there was more to Mr Jenrick than immigration issues.
On Wednesday, there were audible gasps inside the committee room where it was announced that former home secretary Mr Cleverly had been knocked out of the contest.
He emerged as a front runner following his party conference speech in Brighton, topping the first round votes which saw Tom Tugendhat eliminated.
In the fourth round of voting though Mr Cleverly took 37 votes, with Ms Badenoch leading on 42 and Mr Jenrick on 41.
It is thought that tactical voting may have contributed to Mr Cleverly's shock exit, with some MPs reportedly believing he was guaranteed a spot in the final so using their vote in an attempt to eliminate either Mr Jenrick or Ms Badenoch.
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