I'm very shocked when I look at television and I see such an aggressive youth and image obsession in the representation of women on our screens.

The middle-aged woman is the ground bed of the audience that watches television and yet they are absolutely invisible.

The big thing that Moneypenny changed was the amount of charity work that I was able to be involved with.

I always have bananas with me for energy.

Filming is quite exciting because every day is different, but it can involve long hours standing around in chilly locations. Theatre is a very different challenge because every night you're striving to keep it fresh, even though you might have been performing the same play for months.

I adore acting; it's in my blood - quite literally - but I can honestly say the most creative thing in the world for me is being a mother.

If you put people up on pedestals, there's only one way for them to go and that is down.