Miriam Margolyes has launched yet another scathing attack on the UK government, over their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Harry Potter star is infamous for saying exactly what’s on her mind, and in a new interview with fellow acting legend Vanessa Redgrave in The Guardian, she was typically candid when it came to Boris Johnson and his ministers.
During the interview, Miriam questioned whether Vanessa had received the coronavirus vaccine yet, to which she said: “I’ve had the first jab. But the government isn’t listening to the scientists.”
“They’re absolute nitwits!” Miriam agreed. “I’ve never been governed by such a crowd of corrupt incompetents in my life. I’m absolutely furious about it.”
Turning her attention to “this Brexit thing”, Miriam continued: “[It’s] affecting our business, too. Musicians are not able to get jobs in Europe. It’s catastrophic.
“I want to grow old feeling optimistic and grateful, but it’s not happening. I am growing older, angry and disappointed. I’m getting further and further to the left. Usually, when you get older, you go further to the right.”
Last month, Miriam was interviewed on Good Morning Britain from her home in Italy, telling presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid: “I’m not going to England until it’s safe to go. I mean, you’ve got that clown in charge there, that I didn’t vote for, and I’m holding him responsible for a lot of this mess.”
Miriam also tore into Donald Trump, stating: “I know it’s morning television, and I have to be careful about what I say about that man. Let’s say that it ends with ‘hole’ and starts with ‘a’. But he is a dangerous man.
“He is dangerous, I think he’s a fascist, and I think it was obvious from the beginning that he was going to be like that... I just long to see the back of him.”
Miriam previously made headlines when it was first reported the prime minister had contracted Covid-19 last year, admitting she’d had “difficulty not wanting him to die”, due to how he and his government had reacted to the pandemic.
“It’s a disgrace, it’s a scandal,” she told Channel 4’s The Last Leg. “I had difficulty not wanting Boris Johnson to die. I wanted him to die. Then I thought that will reflect badly on me and I don’t want to be the sort of person that wants people to die.
“So then I wanted him to get better, which he did do, he did get better. But he didn’t get better as a human being. And I really would prefer that.”
TV watchdog Ofcom received almost 500 complaints about Miriam’s comments, though these were eventually dismissed.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “These provocative comments had clear potential to offend viewers, but we also considered the audience’s likely expectations of Miriam Margolyes, a comic actor known for her forthright views, and of this live, late-night satirical comedy show.
“We also took into account that Ms Margolyes immediately qualified her comments, and viewers were warned in advance about the programme’s adult humour.”
Months after the controversy, the 79-year-old said: “I can’t regret telling the truth. Daddy always said you must have a golden reputation, you must never do anything wrong and I don’t do anything wrong, in my view. I always try and do the right thing.”
Read Miriam Margoyles and Vanessa Redgrave’s interview in The Guardian here.