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

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.

It was in India that I started my acting career, courtesy of my parents, long before I set foot on stage in England. They headed a company of travelling players performing Shakespeare up and down the land.

I'm sure people in the business have said: She's too old for that part. I don't hear about it because your agent protects you from those negative things.

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.

There is the most wonderful thing called Polaris: it's a very high frequency laser treatment that lifts and tightens the skin.

I love gentle, gorgeous classical music such as Mozart.