KEY POINTS:
Welsh singer Duffy was reduced to tears after Sex Pistols star Johnny Rotten swore at her when she greeted him.
The singer approached the punk backstage at the MOJO Honours List awards ceremony on Monday and tried to hug him.
Johnny allegedly brushed her off, saying: "F**k off,
you ****. You never do that to me."
The Mercy singer was so shocked she burst into tears.
A source said: "Duffy could not believe it. It came completely out of the blue.
"She went to throw an arm around John as they posed up for their group photo. He obviously wasn't expecting it and jumped when she touched him.
"Then he let loose with his tirade - it was still totally uncalled for. Duffy looked terrified and began to cry."
A spokesperson for Duffy said: "Duffy was completely shocked by Johnny's outburst. She just wanted to give him a hug and introduce herself. She was really shaken and upset and went home immediately in tears."
The Sex Pistols frontman later claimed he hadn't realised who Duffy was, saying: "Oh, she got an award? I quite like her."
Duffy won Single of the Year for Mercy at the awards bash in London, while the Sex Pistols picked up the Icon prize.
Meanwhile, Duffy says she is tired of being compared with other female singers.
The 23-year-old Welsh singer - real name Aimee Anne Duffy - has been compared with Dusty Springfield and hailed as the 'new Amy Winehouse' since releasing her breakthrough single Mercy earlier this year, but wants to be recognised in her own right.
She said: "To be honest, if it's not Leona Lewis, it's Amy Winehouse. I'm being compared with Lily Allen or Dusty Springfield, bless her soul, she was an amazing woman.
"I just feel like one day I'll be known as myself, but time will tell."
The singer also spoke about how far she had come.
She added: "This time last year I was eating fish and chips on a North Wales beach! This is my first big awards ceremony. No one cared about me then so I don't know why they do now."
Duffy remained tight-lipped over rumours she is set to record the theme song for the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, teasingly saying: "A lady never exposes her secrets. You've got to leave this Welsh girl alone."
- BANG! SHOWBIZ