Joanna Lumley held at gunpoint while filming new documentary in Haiti

Joanna Lumley has recalled a horrific incident where she was held at gunpoint during filming for a new travel documentary in Haiti.

The Absolutely Fabulous actress, 73, was in the midst of filming a riot in the Caribbean country when her car was ambushed by a group of men.

"Suddenly there was a blockage across the road. They'd put branches down. Luckily, we had two big bodyguards who got out and said: 'Come on guys, clear this away'," Lumley told the Radio Times on March 3.

"And they went: 'No, we want your money or your life.' Sometimes they dig trenches, pour oil in and set fire to it, then come with guns and take your wallets."

Thankfully the comedian and her crew were given the all clear to go through and the incident will not be included in the documentary.

Lumley, who has been making travel documentaries for over a decade, asserted that the ordeal wouldn't deter her from visiting Haiti in the future.

"I'm not really an afraid kind of person," she added.

"If you look timid, people and animals pick it up very fast. In Haiti, people are so poor and living in such squalor, but if you say 'Bonjour' and put your hand out, you've made friends immediately."

Haiti, located south of the Bahamas, has faced long-standing political instabilities, natural disasters and environmental risks.

"The country's broken, nothing works. There are unbelievably poor communities," Lumley added.

"There were street children sleeping rough, abandoned by their families."

Lumley also travelled to Cuba as part of a 1500 mile trip for the docu-series airing on ITV.

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