While Miriam Margolyes proudly shouts she often feels like a “true f**ken Aussie”, she’s spent the last two-and-a-half years getting re-acquainted with her country of origin, England.
But the legendary actress admits the UK she’s now in feels vastly different from the one she left in 1993 when she bought a slice of paradise in Bondi that she shared with her Australian partner, Heather Sutherland.
“Something happened to the world that’s allowed evil to run rampant,” the 85-year-old tells Woman’s Day ahead of the launch of her latest book, Miriam’s Full English.
“I just felt so outraged by it, and found myself old and angry… I didn’t like that, so I decided to vent into a new book and perhaps that would make me feel better.”
SPREADING KINDNESS
Before we sink our teeth into her new book, Miriam shares that she’ll be back in Australia early next year for a new documentary series.
“I can’t really tell you what it will be about, but I’m going to be meeting lots of people, which I love most – sitting and talking to people in different places,” says Miriam, who last featured her adopted home in the 2020 series, Miriam Margolyes: Almost Australian.
“I’ve missed Tim Tams, the sun and the light, and I miss talking to First Nations people,” Miriam shares. “They’re the most extraordinary group of people, and I love finding out about their experience of life in Australia.”
But before she can return to her Tim Tams, Miriam plans on making the UK a kinder and more tolerant place before she jets off.
Her new book, which is named after the UK’s signature breakfast, takes aim at everything from the nation’s penchant for a “stiff upper lip” to a lack of public toilets, and even the rise of modern fascism, AI, politics, war, billionaires and, most importantly, Lime Bikes.
“I’m not really happy in London any more as these Lime Bikes are frightening,” Miriam says, before pausing to fart. “To an old lady, they’re scary – people just leave them in the street. It makes me anxious.”
While all these topics can be quite heavy, the very naughty Miriam promises she’s exploring the issues with some history lessons, her own memories and a lot of cheekiness. “People don’t know the history of the world and they’ve stopped reading,” says Miriam. “So I decided to spread the truth, with a bit of filth, bottom, tits, c**ts and c**ks mixed in.”
And it’s not all doom and gloom either, with lots of stories about her own childhood and her dad, Joe. “My father was born in Scotland and he loved all the remnants of Scottish culture like bagpipes, tartans, the clans and the hills,” Miriam says with a warm smile.
“He loved all of that and he was Jewish. Something that people forget is when you have another cultural influence in your life, you are the richer for it, and England is richer for all the immigrants that came with their food, ideas and fashion.”
STILL EXPLORING
While Miriam is excited to be heading back to Australia early next year, she admits that it could be her last time Down Under.
“I’m conscious I probably won’t die in Australia, which I’d hoped to do, and I’m sad that my plans of retiring there are not going to happen,” Miriam reveals. “Australia is just too far.”
But she’s still hoping to explore as much of her adopted homeland as she can.
“A great deal of Australia is unknown to me,” Miriam says, highlighting that she’d love to travel to Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
“But I’m a little scared of the untrampled nature, the insects, snakes and wild creatures. The people scare me a bit too as they’re not unlike the wildlife that surrounds them!”
But before she can get back to trekking through the outback, Miriam’s hoping to save the world with a simple message.
“Just be kind,” she says. “Be gentle and caring, and observe when people are hurting or feel lonely and scared.”
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