Miriam Margolyes is no stranger to causing controversy and has been involved in several of them over the years.
From making a confession that sparked hundreds of Ofcom complaints to getting a telling-off by the late Queen, here are some of the 83-year-old star’s biggest controversies…
Miriam Margolyes’ biggest controversies – shock confession
One of Miriam‘s biggest controversies of recent times is when she admitted she’d wanted Boris Johnson to die when he caught Covid.
The former Prime Minister was hospitalised after catching the virus back in 2020.
Speaking on The Last Leg in May 2020, Miriam shared her thoughts on how the government had handled the pandemic.
“Appallingly, of course, appallingly. It’s a disgrace, it’s a scandal. It’s a public scandal. 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,” she said.
It’s safe to say that viewers were not happy with her comments. Close to 500 people complained to Ofcom at the time.
“I’m not a massive fan of @BorisJohnson but I’d never wish him dead. Think it’s time for Miriam Margolyes to retire,” one fan said at the time.
“Miriam’s comment on Boris…..disgusting. You should address it. No censoring – you don’t broadcast that,” another fumed.
Piers Morgan slams Miriam
Miriam’s comments got her on Piers Morgan’s radar, and the TalkTV star hit out at her.
“Shame on you Miriam Margolyes. Shame on you. If someone said on this show ‘I wished he’d died’, I’d have ripped him, but no one said anything,” he said.
“It’s not funny what Boris went through personally on that ICU,” he then added.
Telling off from the Queen
During an interview with The Times back in 2022, Miriam revealed that the Queen told her to “be quiet” during a meeting they had once.
Their encounter was many years ago, when Miriam was at Buckingham Palace for British Book Week.
“The Queen told me to ‘be quiet’. It shocked me because I hadn’t quite realised how rude I was being. I was waffling on when she was talking to somebody else, and I was overriding that rudely,” Miriam revealed.
“But it wasn’t deliberate – I wasn’t meaning to be rude. I say what I think and I don’t care how it comes out. Sometimes it comes out in a way that people find very upsetting and offensive, and I’m sorry about that, but what I say is the truth,” she then said.
BBC forced to remove Miriam Margolyes controversial remark
During an interview at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year, BBC Radio 4 presenter Kirsty Wark quizzed Miriam on her love of Charles Dickens.
Miriam’s controversial comment came when she was asked which Dickens character sparked her imagination as a youngster.
“Oh, Fagin. Without question. Jewish and vile. I didn’t know Jews like that then sadly, I do now,” she said.
However, the BBC opted to remove the star’s comment from the broadcast.
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “This was an unexpected comment made during a live broadcast which should have been challenged at the time. We have taken swift action to remove it from the programme and it is no longer available.”
Controversial dating advice
In 2022, during an appearance on This Morning, Miriam came under fire for giving some controversial dating advice.
As well as telling one caller to “lose weight”, she suggested that another should join a club to meet people.
“Go volunteer at a centre for disadvantaged, poor people and cripples,” she said.
“You might meet another cripple, but that doesn’t matter,” she then added.
“Lose a bit of weight and wash. Wash very carefully, all the crevices, all the bits you find difficult to reach. Wash!” she also added.
However, some viewers weren’t impressed at the time.
“#ThisMorning that woman [Miriam] is putrid! Shame on her,” one fan fumed. “Miriam Margolyes can [bleep] off calling disabled peopled ‘cripples’. It’s not funny, it’s downright rude and offensive,” another then wrote.
Miriam Margolyes controversies – swearing on telly
The star is no stranger to swearing on live tv either.
During an appearance on Loose Women last year, the actress caused controversy with one of her ill-judged remarks.
Speaking about her new autobiography, she was asked why she’d written it. “Because they paid me,” she replied.
“Can they pay you to do anything, Miriam?” Kaye Adams then asked.
“Well, I wouldn’t eat [bleep]!” Miriam replied, drawing laughter from the audience.
“Am I allowed to say that, oh dear?” she then remarked.
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