Miriam Margolyes, 84, makes heartbreaking health admission: ‘I’ve let my body down’

In an interview with Weekend Magazine, the humorous Miriam Margolyes explains her bond with the British royals, expresses her discontentment with England, and discusses how her advanced age of 84 is starting to take its toll on her.

Miriam Margolyes expresses her exhaustion with England, stating, “I’ve grown a bit tired of England,” even though she has recently gained unexpected status as a national treasure.

She notes that the street where she resides, located in Clapham, is inhabited predominantly by affluent individuals. However, it seems that the more wealth they possess, the poorer their manners tend to be,” while relaxing in her garden in South London’s district.

As a die-hard fan, I must confess, when I moved into this very street, these neighbors seemed like your average, everyday folks. But boy, oh boy! It’s as if the outspoken Miriam has somehow taken up residence in all of them – they just don’t seem to care about keeping quiet like ordinary people should!

Nowadays, they are all wealthy individuals, some even billionaires. Instead of relaxing, they spend their time either using loud machinery to clear leaves in their gardens or adding extra floors to their houses, as if three stories weren’t already enough. This behavior seems rather excessive.

At 84, she’s starting to notice signs of aging. She laments that she hasn’t given her body the care it deserves. Now, she needs a walker for mobility and wishes she had been more active. Exercise could have helped prevent some of these challenges, but she feels a sense of regret, describing it as a waste of time, yet acknowledges that it has allowed her to remain active. Ultimately, she feels a bit foolish for not prioritizing her health earlier in life.

Is she drawn towards Ozempic, the popular weight-loss medication? Not at all, it’s primarily prescribed for diabetes management and should be reserved for those truly ill. Instead, let’s discuss the inappropriateness of food advertisements on television.

She is open to discussing any topic, including her intentions to seek help for a peaceful and dignified end-of-life process if necessary. Essentially, she prefers not to undergo a prolonged period of physical pain and humiliation due to aging or illness. In such situations where she may lose the ability to communicate effectively (such as a stroke rendering her speechless), become incontinent, or suffer from severe mental deterioration, she wishes for a compassionate end-of-life solution. Ultimately, her goal is to preserve her self-respect and maintain her identity by avoiding a life that is significantly compromised.

This energetic, lively-eyed woman with a whirlwind of white hair has quite a busy schedule at present. She’s working on a one-woman show in Edinburgh about Charles Dickens, embarking on a solo tour filled with cherished memories, keen observations, and even a dash of adult content, and there’s also her latest book, an engaging account of her life titled “The Little Book Of Miriam.

Here, you’ll find the compelling stories of an 84-year-old woman, recounted in chronological order, who has achieved notable success across television, theater, and Hollywood.

She remarks, “What connects rude individuals, the use of apostrophes, and aging? They’re all listings in my unconventional and personal dictionary.

Nevertheless, the book doesn’t disclose the significant transformation that is on the horizon for Miriam, who has spent almost six decades living separately from her partner.

Heather Sutherland, an Australian professor, has typically kept two residences – one in London and another in Amsterdam. They reunite during vacations, specifically in Tuscany and New South Wales.

Miriam expresses her deep affection by saying, “I truly cherish him, for he’s an extraordinary, intellectually stimulating woman. Our interactions are always enriching, unpredictable, entertaining, sometimes heated, but she’s my soulmate and I’m hers. I hope we can spend our golden years together.

Is that indeed a reality? I certainly hope so! It would bring me immense joy to share a lifetime with Heather in the home we purchased together in Italy back in 1973, until our days come to an end.

What is her intended timeline for departing from England? She’s embarking on her journey right now, but she needs to return periodically due to the rule concerning stays of no more than 90 days.

After the Brexit departure, life has grown more challenging for British people residing overseas, as Miriam points out. Consequently, she mentions that she might need to obtain Dutch citizenship. Heather, having resided in Amsterdam for more than 50 years, holds European residency; however, they wish to spend their lives together, so this change could be necessary.

The pair crossed paths in 1968. She found it hard to believe that I could be a lesbian given my outspoken nature, as she associated homosexual women with being quiet and submissive. However, I yearned for attention. I craved making witty comments, using my body, hands, eyes, and even gestures, all in the hopes of sparking a reaction. That’s why I chose to pursue acting.

Born to a general practitioner in Scotland, this woman honed her distinctive, crisp accent through elocution classes, which significantly contributed to her prosperity. Yet, she also possesses an exceptional talent for adopting various accents.

In a delightful turn of events for her supportive mother, who harbored unrealized performing aspirations, she secured admission to Newnham College, Cambridge, and further joined the Footlights comedy club. However, as Miriam’s book discloses, her experience in the male-dominated revue was far from pleasant.

1. Instead of wanting to compete with women, these men desired intimacy with them. However, she was overlooked and made to feel insignificant.
2. I had never encountered such heartlessness before, and it left me feeling deeply miserable.

I tried to maintain a natural and easy-to-read language while keeping the original meaning intact. Hope this helps!

The original cast and script creators featured notable figures like Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie, yet it was John Cleese and Graham Chapman who were primarily responsible for the offensive behavior. ‘They were horrid, petty individuals, and I’ve never been able to let it go. I truly wish I could have moved past this incident, considering how long ago it took place, but my anger, hurt, and disbelief were too overwhelming. I couldn’t fathom that such behavior was truly occurring.’

She notes, ‘They intended their actions. Their intentions were malicious, as I see now,’ she states. ‘In hindsight, they were small-time schoolboys from a minor public school. I found their later Monty Python performances amusing and admired their talent, but they mistreated women in a degrading manner.’ The only females depicted in Python were either ‘eye candy’ or played by the male cast members, she emphasizes.

In 1989, Chapman lost his life to cancer, however, the tension between Margolyes and Cleese persists even today. According to Margolyes, whenever they would cross paths professionally, Cleese would attempt to belittle her. She adds that Cleese is no longer amusing, instead, he seems exhausted and resentful now.

Later on, Miriam became part of various theatre productions. A few years into this, a woman working as a stage manager in Leicester assisted Miriam in realizing her sexual orientation as a lesbian.

My parents were traditional, preferring a daughter who would marry a Jewish medical professional or lawyer. Despite being overweight, I was considered attractive. I had a winning personality, which made it seem like everything was going smoothly. However, things took an unfortunate turn when I was accepted into Cambridge University – a source of great joy – and then… something terrible happened.

Even today, she feels remorseful about revealing the truth to them back in 1966. She admits that it was thoughtless of her, as she had always confided in her mother. She hadn’t anticipated that it would break something within her, but it did.

The concern arises as to whether it potentially led to another stroke for her, given the traumatic aftermath of her previous one – it left her partially paralyzed, impaired her mental faculties, and caused severe debilitation. However, I’ve been informed that such an event is extremely rare in this case. It was indeed a devastating experience.

It could be quite significant for Miriam’s parents if she were to come out, as it might feel comparable to them learning that their child holds extreme political beliefs, such as being a Nazi. This would be deeply challenging for them to accept in their current worldview.

Later in her career, Miriam achieved great recognition as an accomplished British actress on the English stage. She eventually found success in Hollywood and appeared in movies such as Little Shop of Horrors, Romeo + Juliet, Magnolia, Mulan, Happy Feet, and the Harry Potter franchise where she portrayed Professor Sprout.

In simpler terms, she received a BAFTA award for her role as Best Supporting Actress in Martin Scorsese’s 1993 movie “The Age of Innocence.” However, it is worth noting that she gained attention during the audition process by showcasing her talent rather than through any unconventional behavior.

She impulsively did it, she explains. The group seemed tired and weary from a long day of meeting new people. Scorsese is known for his diligence. In that moment, she felt inspired, exclaiming, “Ah, I have an idea!” So, she unexpectedly raised her top, causing them to laugh heartily. That’s the beauty of humor, she adds. It brings joy and laughter.

Miriam, by both birth and upbringing, identifies as Jewish, regularly attending a synagogue, yet she doesn’t hold any religious beliefs in God. The book titled “The Little Book Of Miriam” is characterized by its humor, but also contains poignant remarks about Palestine. In particular, it states, ‘As Jews, we have shifted from being victims to perpetrators. I carry a heavy heart – it signifies that Hitler’s legacy of hatred has persisted.’

It’s rather amusing! I find it hard to believe that someone believes I should return an honor, one I greatly value, in order to put a stop to the violence against women and children in Gaza.

One individual who consistently earns her admiration is the King, even though she identifies as a supporter of the Left. Despite their lengthy acquaintance, Miriam feels hesitant to refer to Charles and Camilla as friends.

I think it wouldn’t be appropriate since I’m not very acquainted with them. However, in her book, she characterizes the Queen as utterly charming, and I agree because she’s completely authentic.

Miriam shared that she attended one of their events at Sandringham, where they all went for a swim. She mentioned that this particular individual is quite an exceptional swimmer. Wishing her parents were around to witness it, she added. Expressing surprise, she stated that the ability to correspond with the King and even meet him is remarkable. It’s not something one usually associates with mingling in royal circles.

As a steadfast advocate of the people, I can’t help but notice the joy I experience when mingling with the royal circle. Yet, I ponder if such an association aligns with my socialist beliefs. With a spirited grin, I casually remark, “While it may not be conventional, frankly, I don’t let petty labels dictate my experiences.

Mick Jagger should steer clear of Miriam due to her heavily explicit language criticizing his actions towards Sophie Dahl, who was 24 at the time, during their dating period. Notably, both women were part of The Vagina Monologues in London’s West End in 2001, with Miriam and Sophie being a model, author, and Roald’s granddaughter.

At that point, Sophie was not only stunningly beautiful but also voluptuous, with a luminous complexion, long, golden tresses, and large, captivating blue eyes, as she describes.

Every evening, Mick Jagger would arrive at the stage door to pick her up, appearing as a somewhat disheveled 58-year-old angel in snug jeans. His expression was consistently grumpy, hinting at more than just this relationship. Sophie was once friends with his daughters Elizabeth and Jade, who were greatly upset by their father’s involvement with her.

Miriam uses a very ugly swear word. ‘He was always so smug and a smug c*** is such a turn-off.’ 

Despite expressing no regret, she candidly admitted to me, “That’s how it seemed to us all. We had concerns about Sophie, a genuinely kind soul. He walked in with an air of self-importance. Yet, she truly cared for him…

I wasn’t privy to his feelings towards her, as we never had a conversation, but based on the circumstances I found his actions unsavory. Given her youth and vulnerability, and our shared sense of responsibility for her well-being, it seemed particularly inappropriate.

The pair’s (left) relationship came to an end after five months.

The Little Book Of Miriam will be published on 11 September by John Murray, priced £16.99.

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2025-08-22 17:22