Danny Dyer's crude royal family gag was cut from ITV's classy Olivier Awards broadcast

ITV bosses cut a crude one-liner delivered by Danny Dyer from the Olivier Awards broadcast, for fear of offending Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

According to The Sun, the EastEnders actor made the uncouth quip on stage at the theatre awards after noticing the Duchess in the audience without her husband, Prince Charles.

“No Charlie tonight?” he asked, adding “I’ll pop up and see you later”.

Read more: Dyer says ISIS bride should be allowed home

The comment was absent from the ITV airing of the Olivier Awards ceremony on Sunday evening, which went out several hours after the event took place.

Dyer attended the glittering bash at the Royal Albert Hall to present the Cunard Best Revival award to a new take on Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke at Almeida Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre.

An industry insider told The Sun that ceremony organisers were hoping Dyer would keep his “cheeky” humour in check and said the gag was seen as “a step too far”.

The 41-year-old actor had already broken with protocol by smoking on the red carpet prior to the glitzy, formal ceremony.

Read more: Dyer delivers sweary award acceptance speech

Dyer has recently returned to the London stage alongside Martin Freeman as part of a celebration of Harold Pinter’s one act plays.

Read more: Viewers praise Right Royal Family

The actor also appeared this year in a two-part BBC documentary called Danny Dyer’s Right Royal Family, in which the actor explored his ancestral links to the British royals.