'What's wrong with that?' Joanna Lumley defends wolf whistling calling it a 'compliment'
JOANNA LUMLEY has claimed women who are offended by men who wolf whistle at them in the street are too "sensitive" as she insists they should take it as a compliment.
Joanna Lumley defends wolf whistling calling it a 'compliment'
Addressing claims that women are offended by pet names and casual sexism in the street, the actress commented: "How can wolf whistling be offensive to women? It's a compliment.
"They're saying 'Cor you look all right, darlin''. What's wrong with that?"
The Absolutely Fabulous star insisted that people today have become far too "sensitive" when those around them comment on their looks.
Speaking about her time modelling in the 60s, the 70-year-old told Mirror Online that she had to have thicker skin to deal with insults from photographers.
The star said women should see wolf whistling as a compliment not as offensive
Joanna Lumley soaks up in Japanese natural hot spring bath
She said that people nowadays are too sensitive
She explained: "We were tougher in those days. You knew someone would whistle in the street and you weren't insulted.
"We have become 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'."
She claimed she had to have tough skin when she modelled in the 60s
Joanna said photographers would insult you in the past but you had to get on with it
She added: "It was good-natured banter, you kind of got on with it, it didn't upset you."
Joanna pops up regularly on television screens, in both comedy and presenting documentaries such as Joanna Lumley's Japan, which saw viewers hail the star as a "hero".
There were also calls for the national treasure to replace Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary during the series, with one viewer sharing on Twitter: "I would have confidence in Brexit if #joannalumley was our foreign secretary, she's so lovely and polite #JoannaLumleysJapan."