Miriam Margolyes boasts one of the most diverse careers in entertainment, from securing a BAFTA for a major drama to voicing an erotic audiobook and embodying the Cadbury’s Caramel bunny. Queen Elizabeth II personally awarded her the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) at Buckingham Palace in the 2002 New Year Honours for her services to drama.
Renowned for Unfiltered Honesty
Beyond her acting achievements, Margolyes earns praise for her candid personality, a staple on television chat shows. She holds the distinction of being the first person—and first woman—to say “f***” on British TV during a 1963 University Challenge appearance.
True to form, Margolyes follows her bodily urges freely. “We did it at home,” she told Grace Dent on the Comfort Eating podcast. “Mummy farted, Daddy farted. I farted… we just did.” However, she exercised rare restraint during her palace visit: “When I was at Buckingham Palace, I held it in,” she confessed. “It’s not fair. You can’t put the Royals through that.”
Ongoing Projects and Health Challenges
At 84, the actress shows no signs of slowing. Her recent short film Friend of Dorothy earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Short Film this year, though it did not win.
Margolyes fronts travel documentaries on destinations like Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. She battles spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis, which restrict her mobility. In 2023, she underwent heart surgery and chose a bovine valve over a porcine one due to her Jewish heritage. “I’ll eat anything, darling, except from the pig,” she told Grace Dent. “When I had a new valve in my heart, they offered me a pig’s or a cow’s. And I said, no, it has to be a cow. I’m sorry.”
Diverse Work from Home
Margolyes stays active with personalized videos on Cameo. Fans often request unusual content: “Very often they want me to fart,” she revealed. “I have to try and explain that I haven’t got them stored, you know, if they’re there, they’re there and I’m happy to share. But otherwise, tough s***, you know.”
