Naomi Campbell almost fired from Absolutely Fabulous says Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lumley has revealed supermodel Naomi Campbell was almost dismissed for being late on her first day of filming on the 1990s comedy TV show Ab Fab.

While promoting the 2016 movie of the wildly popular British comedy series Ab Fab, the 70-year-old actress – who reprised her role as Patsy alongside Jennifer Saunders' Eddy in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie – described how the floor manager of the TV show told Campbell off for showing up three hours late for her appearance.

According to Page Six, The Avengers actress, who was joined by co-star Jennifer Saunders, recalled the floor manager's words at the time: "'You're working with a lot of very professional actresses. They all pitched up on time, and they know their lines. Darling, you'll do that tomorrow, or you're out."

Saunders added: "Maybe in her past, nobody's ever asked her to be on time — they just expected her to be a diva."

Page Six reports that a representative for the English model recalled the incident, mentioning that it happened over 20 years ago, and that: "Naomi is a consummate professional".

In the episode, which Campbell features in, the model plays herself. She is seen seated next to Patsy at an awards' dinner, where Eddy loses a prize of best PR consultant to her rival Claudia Bing despite having bribed the judging panel.

In contrast, both Lumley and Saunders referred to Kate Moss, who also appeared in the 1990s TV show aswell as the new movie, as a true professional. Following her infamous drowning sequence, when she rose from the freezing cold Thames, staff brought Moss blankets and tea. Slightly taken aback, the model responded: "Listen, if this was a photo shoot, they'd just say, 'Stop f******g shivering!'"