Success breeds success, and failure leads to a sort of fallow period.

When I was much younger, I sometimes felt rejected by feminists because of an image that I sold because it paid the bills. Any fool could tell my hair is dyed.

I do still get the odd fan letter about The Good Life, clearly written by somebody aged 18, who says: Will you send a photograph? And I think: Maybe it's kinder not to. I'm deeply into my 50s now.

So many roles for women demand that you make the audience fall in love with you or sympathise with you.

As we have more women in power, so the plays and the TV dramas are reflecting what's happening.

I hope to start enjoying flirting again when I'm 70, like my mother did.

When I was little I always thought I was marked out, special, on the verge of something momentous. I used to tingle with anticipation.