Lucy Boynton has finally spoken out about how she felt while listening to her boyfriend Rami Malek pay tribute to her during his Oscar acceptance speech for 2019.

In a new interview with You magazine, the 28-year-old recalled the moment the actor, who won Best Actor for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody about his life that year, expressed his love for her.

Boynton, who played Mercury’s best friend Mary Austin in the film, and Malek met on the set and have been dating ever since.

‘Lucy Boynton, you are the heart of this film, you are beyond immensely talented, you have captured my heart,’ Malek said during his speech. ‘Thank you very much.’

Boynton told the publication that she had no idea his declaration of love was so public at the time.

‘It sounds so silly but I was really unaware of the public element of that,’ she said. ‘You’re just absorbing, millisecond by millisecond, what is happening, and then suddenly you hear the applause and you realise it’s been a public moment, which is slightly strange.’

Malek and Boyton were rumoured to be dating in April 2018, but Malek hinted at their relationship in January 2019 during his acceptance speech for the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

‘Thank you very much, Lucy Boynton. You’ve been an ally, a confidant, and a lover to me. ‘Many thanks,’ he added.

While the couple has remained relatively private about their romance and been spotted walking the red carpet together at numerous events such as the Met Gala and Golden Globes in recent years, they have occasionally spoken of their admiration for each other.