Gillian Anderson addresses backlash to video of her telling fans not to sit in the front row

Gillian Anderson has given an explanation after she was filmed telling fans off outside her London theatre show.

The American actress, best known for her roles in Sex Education and The X Files, is currently performing on London's West End in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

If you're anything like me, you probably can't think of anything worse than sitting in a first row at a show and putting yourself at the risk of audience participation, but it seems as if some super fans have been 'distracting' the actress by repeatedly sitting in the front row.

A clip of Anderson outside the Soho Place theatre quickly went viral, as she was seen having what seemed to be strong words with a group of fans.

She said: “You guys cannot sit in the front row. I do not care; you cannot sit in the front row. It’s so distracting.”

“You can’t come 20 times and sit in the front row, it’ll drive me mad.”

While you might assume that they were being disruptive by talking loudly or playing Bogies a la Dick and Dom, it turns out that there was a very simply explanation for the 'distracting' behaviour, as well as Anderson's reaction.

Writing on X, the 58-year-old said: “The video doing the rounds is me talking with women I go back over 20 years with – so please don’t say anything negative to or about them.

“We’re thrilled to be doing this show but for people in the front row, please be aware that in such an intimate venue we can all see you and sometimes, it can be a tad distracting!

“That’s all. All good. On with the show and love to everyone and thank you to all of those coming.”

So it seems as if there was no real malice or drama here, since she seems to know all the people who were coming in the front row, and were seemingly distracting her simply by her knowing exactly who they were.

It's not the first controversial moment that Anderson has been involved in with the media in recent months, as after starring alongside Jason Isaacs in The Salt Path, there was significant controversy about the original book, with reports suggesting that the supposed true story was 'extremely fabricated'.

After those reports surfaced, Anderson admitted: "We had been so surprised by its success: 'What, really, this film about two old people going on a walk?' It felt like such a betrayal because we'd spent time with [the Winns]."

Meanwhile, Anderson also recently came out as pansexual, admitting that she'd had relationships with women in her younger days and that playing therapist Jean Milburn on the hit Netflix show helped her become a lot more open about sex.

“It all came from that character. The conversation about doing these books wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been for that. I wouldn’t have started my drinks had it not been for that,” she admitted.