Veteran actress Miriam Margolyes has revealed she declined an invitation to appear in the new series of Celebrity Traitors, insisting she had no interest in taking part.
The 84-year-old Harry Potter star said she was approached to appear on the BBC One reality show but swiftly refused.
“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 do less.
"No, I’m not into that. I’ve never watched it, and I don’t intend to watch it. There are 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.”
The celebrity edition of The Traitors, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, features famous faces including Alan Carr, Jonathan Ross, Celia Imrie and Charlotte Church.
Contestants take on challenges to boost a charity prize fund while trying to identify the secret “traitors” among them.
Margolyes spoke about the missed TV opportunity during her appearance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, where she was promoting her latest book, The Little Book of Miriam — a collection of stories and reflections from her long career.
During the lively and often expletive-filled talk, she shared fond memories of her friends Dame Maggie Smith and Dame Judi Dench, and jokingly claimed to be the first person ever to say the f-word on British television.
“Well, if you get a question wrong… of course you say, ‘oh, f***,’” she said, recalling an appearance on University Challenge in 1963.
“The sound was bleeped out, but I did say it. It’s not something I’m proud of, but it did happen.”
Margolyes also took aim at US President Donald Trump, calling him the “orange turd over the water,” while expressing her admiration for the King and Queen.
“It’s a difficult subject at the moment,” she said.
“Families are complicated, and that family is a complex family.
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"I’ve met the King and I like him very much — and Camilla too. He’s an absolute sweetheart, a real darling.”
Reflecting on being made an OBE for services to drama, Margolyes said she had no intention of returning the honour despite criticism of her outspoken support for Palestine.
“Now people want me to give it back because of my support for the Palestinians,” she said.
“I just think, f*** it, I’m not giving it back.
"I feel deeply shocked at the way people are 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.”
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