Miriam Margolyes reveals she turned down Celebrity Traitors

By Rod Minchin, PA

Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes has claimed she turned down the opportunity to appear in the current series of Celebrity Traitors.

The 84-year-old actress said she had never watched the show and had rejected the chance to be in it.

“Well, I can tell you the answer to that. No,” Margolyes said.

“Because I was offered this job. No. Just recently and I can’t think of anything I’d rather less do.

“No, I’m not into that. I’ve never watched it, I don’t intend to watch it. There is some jolly good people doing it.

“And if they want to do it for money, well, that’s fair enough but you won’t get me on it.”

Among the famous faces competing for a charity prize pot on the BBC One spin-off programme include comedian Alan Carr, broadcaster Jonathan Ross, actor Celia Imrie and singer Charlotte Church.

The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, the competitors, named the faithfuls, are tasked with detecting and banishing the murderous traitors in the group while completing a series of challenges to win cash towards the charity prize pot.

Margolyes was appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival to promote her latest book, The Little Book Of Miriam, which is a anthology of her thought-provoking wisdom and stories from her long career.

During an expletive-laden event, she spoke fondly about her friends Dame Maggie Smith, who she had starred alongside in the Harry Potter films, and Dame Judi Dench.

Margolyes also “wanted to put the record straight” to claim the title of the first person to say the f-word on TV in 1963 during an episode of University Challenge.

“Well, if you get a question wrong… I mean, of course you say, oh, f***,” she said.

“I did get a question wrong, and it was clearly my face saying what I just said.

“But the sound was bleeped out, so nobody actually heard it, but I did say it.

“It’s not something I’m proud of but it did happen.

“So Ken Tynan was waltzing about saying that he was the first person, he wasn’t.

“He may have said it many times but not the first time.”

Margolyes also described US President Donald Trump as the “orange turd over the water” and spoke warmly of the King and Camilla.

“It’s a difficult subject at the moment.

“Families are complicated and that family is a complicated family,” she said.

“It is jolly tough, I would imagine, being the King at the moment. He is, as I have met him and I like him very, very much and Camilla.

“I would never thought in all my life I would ever sit at the same table and talk with the royal family, the King and the Queen.

“I just wish mummy and daddy could have known that happened, as they wouldn’t have believed it either, and would have been so thrilled, as I am.

“He’s an absolute sweetheart, a real darling.”

Margolyes said she was thrilled to be appointed an OBE for services to drama and took a swipe at those who want her stripped of the honour because of her support for Palestine.

“Now people want me to give it back because certain areas of North London want me to give it back because of my support for the Palestinians,” the actor, who is herself Jewish, said.

“I just think, f*** it, I’m not giving it back.

“It is something which is very divisive at the moment.

“I can’t change my mind about this.

“I feel deeply shocked at the way people are accepting, seemingly accepting, what’s going on in Palestine.

“I support the Palestinians unreservedly and I feel terrible distress at what’s happening.

“I’m not giving back my OBE, so yah boo sucks.”