Hollywood legend Tony Curtis told hundreds of spellbound fans today how Joan Collins was one of the few leading ladies he never bedded.

Sexual history: Tony Curtis reveals all

To shrieks of shocked laughter the wheelchair-bound star told how he called her "a c " to her face instead.

In a warts-and-all interview at a sold-out auditorium at the Hay Festival of Literature, in Mid Wales, Curtis spoke of his life, loves and loathings.

The 83-year-old star of the silver screen is in the UK to promote his new autobiography, American Prince.

He spoke today at length of his movie queen conquests such as Marilyn Monroe and Nathalie Wood.

He also denied that stars like Shelley Winters and Joan Collins had ever turned him down.
Francine Stock, interviewer at the hour-long session, noted that neither actress emerges well in the autobiography.

Putting the question point-blank to Curtis, she said: "Maybe they just turned you down."
"Neither one turned me down," said Curtis, pausing for effect, "neither one got an invitation."

Writing off both women, he said: "Shelley Winters was such a bigmouth. She was a rumourmonger and you could never trust her saying anything."

Of Collins, he told how she had irritated him on the set of his highly successful 1970s ITV series, The Persuaders, in which he starred with Roger Moore.

He said at one time they were filming in the South of France and Collins "just made life miserable".

He said in one scene he was supposed to drive a car into a river with Collins sat in the seat next to him.

But she constantly held up filming, reapplying make-up and demanding more time.

"Finally I said to Joan 'will you stop acting like a c '. She said 'what did you say?' I realised what I had said and just said to Joan 'I'm excited about the scene too'.

"Then she leans out of the window and she shouts 'he called me a c '.

"I was so humiliated I didn't know where to put my face," Curtis said.