Dame Judi Dench 'called critic a s***'

Dame Judi Dench wrote a letter to a newspaper critic calling him "a s**t" in response to his negative reviews, it has been claimed.

Charles Spencer of the Daily Telegraph said that he received the correspondence from the actress following his evaluations of her performances in the latest James Bond films and Madame de Sade at Wyndham's Theatre.

According to Spencer, Dench wrote: "I've always rather admired you but now realise you're an absolute s**t."

Regarding an onstage accident suffered by the star, she reportedly added: "I'm only sorry I didn't get a chance to kick you when I fell over - maybe next time."

The critic also said that Maureen Lipman had sent him a "witty collage" after he argued in a review that she was an unlikely seducer of European royals.

Spencer said: "If it seems caddish to reveal this correspondence, I can only say that my admiration for both Miss Lipman and Dame Judi has increased rather than diminished as a result of their responses.

"We critics are constantly dishing it out and we ought to be able to take it too."