The bishop responsible for officiating Aretha Franklin's funeral has apologised to singer Ariana Grande after being criticised for the way he touched her on stage.

Bishop Charles H. Ellis III had an awkward interaction with Grande after she performed “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”.

Images of the moment showed Ellis with his arm around an uncomfortable-looking Grande, with one hand above her waist and his fingers pressing against the right side of her chest.

Ellis later apologised in an interview with the Associated Press, saying it would "never be my intention to touch any woman's breast".

“I don’t know, I guess I put my arm around her,” he said. “Maybe I crossed the border, maybe I was too friendly or familiar but again, I apologise.

"I hug all the female artists and the male artists,” he continued. “Everybody that was up, I shook their hands and hugged them. That’s what we are all about in the church. We are all about love.”

He added: “The last thing I want to do is to be a distraction to this day. This is all about Aretha Franklin.”

Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Show all 32 1 /32 Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Former President Bill Clinton plays an Aretha Franklin song from his phone Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Cristal Franklin, foreground left, hugs Vaughn Franklin as Victorie Franklin, left, and Jordan Franklin look on AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Fans of soul music icon Aretha Franklin watch the singer's funeral Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Singer Smokey Robinson speaks Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Motown artist Martha Reeves arrives AFP/Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Jordan Franklin, left, pauses alongside his sister Victorie Franklin while speaking about their grandmother AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The Clark Sisters perform Reuters Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Singer Ariana Grande performs at the funeral service for the late singer Aretha Franklin Reuters Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, consoles a family member as they pause at the casket of Aretha Franklin AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Chaka Khan arrives at the funeral service for Aretha Franklin REUTERS Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Singer Faith Hill performs Reuters Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Mourners attend Aretha Franklin's funeral at Greater Grace Temple AFP/Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Jennifer Holiday speaks with the media as she enters Greater Grace Temple Getty Images Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Mourners attend Aretha Franklin's funeral AFP/Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Family and loved ones of soul music icon Aretha Franklin enter Greater Grace Temple Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Louis Farrakhan, from left, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and former President Bill Clinton attend the funeral service for Aretha Franklin AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Former US President Bill Clinton takes a picture with singer Ariana Grande and her fiancee Pete Davidson AFP/Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The Reverend Al Sharpton talks with Hillary Clinton EPA Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Roger Chambers holds up an issue of "The Final Call," featuring a photograph of Aretha Franklin at the Greater Grace Temple AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The casket containing the remains of soul music icon Aretha Franklin is carried into Greater Grace Temple for the singer's funeral Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures American singer Shirley Caesar, center, arrives AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Detroit residents wait in line to enter the Greater Grace Temple for legendary singer Aretha Franklin's funeral AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Omarosa Manigault-Newman arrives Reuters Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Flowers from the family of singer Otis Redding are delivered to the church before Aretha Franklin funeral at the Greater Grace Temple in advance of her funeral on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. AFP/Getty Images Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The casket of Aretha Franklin arrives at the Greater Grace Temple in advance of her funeral on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 31: Guests arrive at the funeral for Aretha Franklin at the Greater Grace Temple on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. Franklin, 76, died at her home in Detroit on August 16. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Scott Olson Getty Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures Boxer Thomas Hearns arrives EPA Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The casket of Aretha Franklin arrives at the Greater Grace Temple in advance of her funeral on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. AFP/Getty Images Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The casket of Aretha Franklin arrives at the Greater Grace Temple in advance of her funeral on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. AP Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures The casket of Aretha Franklin arrives at the Greater Grace Temple in advance of her funeral on August 31, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. AFP/Getty Images Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul's funeral in pictures epa06987104 The body of US singer Aretha Franklin arrives in a 1940 LaSalle hearse (Rear R) for her funeral service at the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, Michigan, USA, 31 August 2018. Aretha Franklin, known as the Queen of Soul for recording hits such as RESPECT, Chain of Fools and many others, died 16 August 2018 from pancreatic cancer and will be buried in Woodlawn Cemetery on 31 August. EPA/TANNEN MAURY TANNEN MAURY EPA

The bishop also apologised to Grande, her fans and the Hispanic community for joking about mistaking her name on the programme for a new item on the menu at Mexican fast food restaurant Taco Bell.

“I personally and sincerely apologise to Ariana and to her fans and to the whole Hispanic community,” Ellis said. “When you're doing a programme for nine hours you try to keep it lively, you try to insert some jokes here and there.”

At the ceremony, Grande performed her take on “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”, the 1967 song written by Carole King, that became one of Franklin's signature hits.

Grande was one of several performers to sing at the event, including Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, gospel trio The Clark Sisters, and Chaka Khan.