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Joanna Lumley defends wolf whistling, calls it a 'compliment'

Sharnaz Shahid
Deputy Online Editor
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Joanna Lumley has sensationally claimed women should not get offended if they are wolf whistled on the streets, instead they should take it as a "compliment".

Speaking to Mirror Online, the 70-year-old actress addressed recent reports about the pet names and casual sexism which offend women.

"How can wolf whistling be offensive to women? It's a compliment,'" she confessed, before adding: "They're saying 'Cor you look all right, darlin''. What's wrong with that?"

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jo© Photo: PA

Joanna Lumley has sensationally claimed women should not get offended if they are wolf whistled on the streets

The human rights activist - who is famed for playing Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous - believes people are now "sensitive flowers" as she discussed what it was like for her modelling in the '60s. 

"We were tougher in those days," she said. "You knew someone would whistle in the street and you weren’t insulted. We have become more sensitive flowers nowadays, people are very offended by everything.

"When I was modelling photographers were much ruder, they'd say 'You look frightful, what's the matter with you?' 'You look podgy, you look fat as a pig'. It was good-natured banter, you kind of got on with it, it didn't upset you."

jo 2z© Photo: PA

"How can wolf whistling be offensive to women? It's a compliment,'" she confessed

Her comments come soon after the release of the movie adaptation of Absolutely Fabulous, which proved to be so popular that it drew in a grand £4.4 million worth of sales in the UK on the opening weekend.

Joanna is now preparing for another film, entitled Finding Your Feet, before she takes part in a new documentary which will be produced in India.

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