In an interview today however Jennifer insisted that the remark was simply an “inside joke.”

She explained to Ronan Keating on Magic: “Backstage Joanna and I were about to go out and she was going to present me. So I’m like, just adjective after adjective, ‘tall, beautiful, just say that I’m this and that,’ and she was like, ‘alright darling,’ so it was an inside joke and she went on and said all these nice things to me, so when I got onto to the podium I said, ‘that was a bit much’ like after I’d just spent backstage telling her to be nice to me.”

The Oscar winner went on to reveal that if she’d responded differently ‘it would have looked as if she was accepting a compliment Mean Girl style.

She continued: “Everybody thought that I was being rude.

“But to be fair, I couldn’t have just walked out after she was like, ‘biggest movie star in the world!’ And I’d just walked out and gone ‘thank you Joanna’.

“It would have been like, ‘so you agree? You think you’re really pretty?’

“I wasn’t being rude, it was an inside joke. Well I’m always rude.”

BAFTA viewers were left shocked after Jennifer Lawrence appeared to ‘throw shade’ at host Joanna Lumley on live TV.

The 71-year-old actress kicked off the awards by welcoming Hollywood star Jennifer on stage to present the first gong – with a gushing introduction.

She said: “Right let’s start giving out some of those beautiful BAFTAs shall we?

“And we start with the award for Outstanding British Film and who better to kick the whole evening off than the hottest actress on the planet.

“Soon to be seen in Red Sparrow, it’s the ravishing Jennifer Lawrence.”

Looking a little uncomfortable, Jennifer replied in a rather lacklustre manner: “Hi, that was a bit much but thank you Joanna.”

Those watching at home couldn’t quite believe she had replied to the Absolutely Fabulous legend with what seemed to be an off tone and took to Twitter to comment on it.

One person blasted: “Hahaa, who does Jennifer Lawrence think she is?? Stuck up cow. If I was Joanna Lumley I know exactly where I’d stick that #BAFTA #EEBAFTAs.”

While another wrote: “But do have to say that #jenniferlawrence was very rude in her comments to #JoannaLumley @ #BAFTAs uncalled for.”

And someone else tweeted: “How rude was Jennifer Lawrence to Joanna Lumley? #EEBAFTAs.”

A further person ranted: “Jennifer Lawrence is not welcome in the U.K. if she thinks it’s ok to disrespect Joanna Lumley. Imagine licking Kardashian arse but shading Joanna Mother F**king Lumley. Overrated rodent.”

An upset Joanna Lumley fan added: “Who is a Jennifer Lawrence??? Never heard of her. It might be a good idea for her to have some respect for Joanna Lumley who has proved her worth in every area of TV/stage/Film. She certainly will never reach the heights of Joanna.”