The pair was booked to appear on the BBC's The One Show to discuss new movie The Water Diviner, which Crowe directed, but it appears the Gladiator star fell victim to heavy traffic in London.

It was up to Kurylenko to carry the interview until Crowe arrived, and he walked straight onto the set to cheers and applause without even taking his coat off, several minutes after the cameras started rolling.

Host Matt Baker told viewers at the start of the show, "Russell Crowe is not quite here yet as punctuality isn't one of his strong points."

Looking sheepish upon his arrival, Crowe said, "Where have I been? In a car!"

At the conclusion of the show, Baker's co-host Alex Jones reminded viewers of the Hollywood star's tardiness, saying, "Thanks very much to Russell for turning up eventually."