Armando Iannucci has said the fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein always had a reputation as an 'awful person to deal with' - but the dozens of sex assault allegations leveled are 'quite horrible.

The Glasgow-born satirist who's had success on both sides of the Atlantic with the Thick of It and it's US cousin Veep was speaking at a Q&A for his second movie, The Death of Stalin.

He was speaking in London, where Weinstein is facing a police probe into three further sexual assaults in 2010, 2011 and 2015. The Met Police are already probing him over an alleged incident in 2015.

New York police are also investigating claims against Weinstein, including rape and sexual assault.

Asked about the growing scandal by 5 News, Iannucci says: "He always had an appetite for being just an awful person to deal with, but it's quite horrible what we are hearing now.

"It indicates that the culture of fear and terror is something that can result in silencing people when actually people need to be able to speak out."

Actress Andrea Riseborough, who stars in the film, said she had experience inappropriate sexual behaviour 'almost every week.'

Michael Palin, who stars in The Death of Stalin, added at the same event that like many others he had 'no idea' what Weinstein had allegedy been up to.

"It's awful. May this will change things. I think this is going to make some kind of change [in Hollywood]."

Meanwhile, Alice Evans has described an “Orwellian type of fear” surrounding Harvey Weinstein She made the comments as the Metropolitan Police investigate five allegations involving Weinstein, dating back to the late 1980s.

Evans became one of the latest women, at the weekend, to reveal an encounter with the movie mogul, saying that when she rejected his advances he told her: “Let’s hope your boyfriend’s career goes well.”

“That has stayed with me forever,” she said of the comment about Liar actor Ioan Gruffudd, who had just screen-tested for a Weinstein film.

“It’s repugnant to me that he would say that because we all know what he meant.”

Asked about not coming forward earlier, she told Good Morning Britain: “Who would we raise our heads to?… “I can’t go to the police. He didn’t do anything legally wrong… Everybody needed Harvey Weinstein so everybody was prepared to imagine it maybe wasn’t as bad as they thought. I don’t think anybody said, ‘Go away and have sex with this man.’ “He had what everybody wanted. He was in a position of power.”

She added: “I know of girls who told other girls to be careful. The girls went in, had whatever they had to do with Harvey, and told Harvey about the other girls. Harvey called the other girls and said, ‘Don’t you ever talk bad about me again.’ Can you imagine that Orwellian kind of fear?

“Almost like World War Two, with the French, you weren’t sure who was your friend and who wasn’t.”

Elsewhere, it emerged The Weinstein Company is mulling over the sale of "all or a significant portion" of its assets amid growing allegations of sexual assault by film producer Harvey Weinstein.

The independent film studio confirmed that it had entered into "a negotiating period" with private equity firm Colony Capital over a potential deal.

Colony Capital has also reached a preliminary agreement to provide an "immediate" capital injection for The Weinstein Company that could provide a financial lifeline to the firm, but did not disclose the total sum.

The announcement made no reference to a growing scandal surrounding Weinstein, who is facing a litany of rape, harassment and assault accusations from a number of women including some of the film industry's biggest stars.

Weinstein has been dismissed him from the firm, but questions have been raised over what the independent film studio's board may have known about the movie mogul's actions.

Weinstein Company board member Tarak Ben Ammar said: "We believe that Colony's investment and sponsorship will help stabilise the company's current operations, as well as provide comfort to our critical distribution, production and talent partners around the world.

"Colony's successful experience and track record in media and entertainment will be invaluable to the company as we move forward."

US banking giant Goldman Sachs last week confirmed it was "exploring options" for its near $1 million (£752,000) stake in the Weinstein Company.

"There is no place for the inexcusable behaviour that had been reported, and we strongly condemn it," a Goldman Sachs spokesperson said.

Colony Capital's founder and executive chairman Thomas J Barrack Jr said he believed The Weinstein Company offered "substantial value and growth potential".

"We look forward to working with the company's critical strategic distribution and production partners to help preserve and create value for all stakeholders, including its employees.

"We will help return the company to its rightful iconic position in the independent film and television industry."