Dame Judi Dench was late to meet the real-life spy boss M.

The 79-year-old actress played the fictional head of MI6 in seven James Bond movies - from 'GoldenEye' in 1995 to 'Skyfall' last year - but she almost missed lunch with the actual boss Sir David Spedding.

Speaking to the Radio 4 Today show, Dench explained how the Security Service insisted on sending their own driver to collect her because her own chauffeur wouldn't ''know the way'' - but he got lost.

She said: ''They said my own driver won't know the way. I said, 'To the Lego building on South Bank? He can't miss it.'

''But they did send their driver - he couldn't find me - so I was embarrassingly late.''

Last year's blockbuster starring Daniel Craig was her last in the role, and while she was angry at her time coming to an end, she has admitted she was ''pretty spoilt'' by playing the part for so long.

Previously asked how she reacted to being told she wasn't carrying on, she explained: ''Fury. You know, I had a wonderful time, but you have to be realistic.

''Would MI6 really not have given me the push by now? I've given it a good go. I had four films with Pierce [Brosnan], three with Daniel. Pretty spoilt, I reckon.''