Over the weekend, some 35 years after they first met, Liam Neeson and Dame Helen Mirren sat down together on Graham Norton’s iconic red sofa to promote their respective films, The Commuter and Winchester.

It wasn’t long before Norton reminded viewers that the Hollywood stars dated between 1980 and 1985 after meeting on the set of their 1981 fantasy film, Excalibur.

Or, as Mirren was quick to correct the TV host: “We didn’t date. We lived together for four years – lucky me!”

Neeson, perhaps emboldened by Mirren’s candour, added that it was love at first sight when he first met Mirren.

“I remember being on the set and standing with Ciarán Hinds as Helen walked towards us dressed in her full Morgana Le Fey costume and we both went, ‘Oh f**k,” he said.

“I was smitten. I think Ciarán was too but I was very smitten!”

Mirren, touched by Neeson’s admission, replied: “I never knew that.

“You’ve never told me that before – it’s amazing.”

Liam Neeson finally tells Helen Mirren how he fell in love with her