Brian Blessed's off in rage over ‘crap’ Flash Gordon film

Brian Blessed has had to pay back a booking fee after storming out of an after-dinner speaking engagement at The Savoy.

Guests at the £2,300-a-table event claim the actor flew into a rage when someone said the 1980 movie Flash Gordon, in which he starred, was "crap".

The 74-year-old is said to have grabbed the offender around the throat and boomed, "I'm not standing for this!" before walking out.

He was among 450 guests at the black-tie dinner of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors last Thursday. It will be refunded his £6,500 booking fee.

A source at the event told the Daily Mail: "He was just about to be announced to give his speech when he grabbed a guy at our table round the throat.

"He seemed in a very good mood all evening then just flipped. Blessed claimed the guy on his table called him crap."

The man said to have provoked Blessed, a retail executive who did not want to be named, said: "All I said was I did not rate Flash Gordon, that I thought it was crap. I certainly did not call him any names."

Blessed's agent Stephen Gittins said the actor had been too busy with work to discuss the incident with him.

JLA, the agency that booked Blessed, refused to comment. A spokesman for the Federation of Wholesale Distributors was unavailable for comment.