Fern Britton has revealed she was once assaulted by a man she had just interviewed on television.

The former This Morning host said she was attacked in a lift by the unnamed man when she worked for Television South in the 80s and 90s.

Fern, who is currently touring the UK in the Calendar Girls musical, told The Mirror: “I remember doing a television show when I worked for TVS. I was in a lift with a man I’d just interviewed.

“He suddenly jumped me and started snogging me. I asked him what on earth he thought he was doing. But it didn’t seem to shame him into stopping.

“The fact remains the most privileged person on the planet is still the white male.

“But unless they can feel as uncomfortable as single women do walking home at night in the dark or getting into a taxi alone, there’s always going to be that gap in ­understanding.

“Is the pendulum beginning to swing back in the other direction? Yes, it is. But there’s still a long way to go.”

Last year the presenter hit the headlines after throwing some serious shade at her former This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield as she made a return to the ITV daytime show for its 30th birthday.

Fern, who hosted the ITV daytime show 1999 to 2009, made her feelings quite clear about reportedly not being invited to the special Bafta tribute that had been held to celebrate the milestone anniversary.

Revealing she had been snubbed from the celebrations, she said: “Congratulations on Bafta. That was absolutely wonderful and brilliant, and I would have loved to have been there, but I didn’t get an invitation…”

However, hours after the show aired, Fern’s agents came forward to admit they had turned the invitation down on her behalf, but hadn’t actually told her.

• Rape Crisis services for women and girls who have been raped or have experienced sexual violence – 0808 802 9999
• Survivors UK offers support for men and boys – 0203 598 3898