Veteran actress DAME Judi Dench is desperate to block sex scenes she filmed 25 years ago being released on video in her native Britain and America.

Dame Judi, 69, filmed the racy scenes in 1978 with actor Jeremy Irons, who she was starring alongside for TV film LANGRISHE, GO DOWN - which filmmakers are now hoping to release again following their original one-off TV broadcast at the time.

Director DAVID JONES says, "I think Langrishe, Go Down was Judi's best film performance ever - beautiful, sensual, passionate and very physical, as well as being wickedly funny. She and Irons were just amazing.

"The scenes are not exploitative and do Dame Judi no harm. I'm sorry to hear she's distressed about it."

Producer Max Rosenberg adds, "I've been in touch with Judi about it. She didn't mind about the nude scenes at the time. Now she doesn't like it one bit. But there's nothing she can do about it."

Langrishe, Go Down is the tale of a middle-aged virgin who has an affair with a young scholar - and in one scene Dame Judi is shown running naked through the grounds of a mansion, and in another her nipples are smeared with whipped meringue.

14/12/2003 10:41