"Politics, Potty Mouth and Pelvic Floor": Margoyles Unfiltered at Cheltenham Lit Fest 

A little old lady is helped onto the stage, a walking stick in either hand. The 83 year old, small in stature yet huge in presence, captivates the audience at her sell out event immediately, no one daring to talk over the national treasure that is Miriam Margoyles.

Mostly known for her wit, outspoken remarks and appalling language, Miriam showed a more reflective and sensitive side at this year's Cheltenham Literature Festival. Never shying away from telling the truth and using her platform as a voice for others, Miriam spoke about the ongoing crisis in Gaza, “I want the world to be a better place, I want politicians not to lie, I want people to stop killing each other in the Middle East”, the audience listening carefully.

She continues, “As a Jewish person I am shocked by what the Israelis are doing, but not all Jews are like that… just by saying that I draw the opprobrium that I am betraying my people, no, I am not betraying, you are betraying, that is my opinion”. Her comments were followed by an admirable applause. When asked if she felt she had a responsibility to speak out, she replied “I have the responsibility of a human being.”

A mix of emotions were felt in the room that evening , from belly laughs to the shed of a tear. As well as being her usual cheeky and crude self, the Harry Potter star touched on how her book, “Oh Miriam!” also covers more serious topics. She described herself as multi-faceted, “I’m 83 and I do want to be taken seriously”. Miriam spoke about loneliness and grief, sharing a heart warming anecdote about her co-star and close friend Dame Maggie Smith, “She was remarkable, when I heard that she died I wept because she filled a place that no one else could”. 

In her own words, Miriam describes herself as “A short fat lesbian with mobility issues yet claims the room like a supermodel”. Her radiance and self confidence is infectious, it is refreshing to see someone be so authentically themselves. When asked what her secret was she credited her parents and upbringing, “I was brought up with love, I think that’s the only thing that matters…to be loved, to be cared about. I’ve always felt loved and that’s lucky, it gave me kind of confidence so that I would go forth anywhere and expect to be loved”. 

Living up to her reputation as a potty mouth, Miriam gave a delightfully unfiltered interview, shocking the audience with her outspoken views on other public figures. Gasps could be heard when she mentioned her dislike towards Lily Allen, calling her “rather unkind” followed by some much stronger language. As well as calling Donald Trump an a** h***, she shared a hilarious tale about accidentally swearing on radio 4 when asked about her encounter with Jeremy Hunt in the green room before going on the show. Her constant swearing meant there were often large chunks of blank space amongst the AI generated subtitles above her head, resulting in a lot of chuckles from the audience. 

Miriam's new book includes funny stories from her life, career reflections as well as her views on current social issues. The author and actress says she was surprised to see it sell ¼ million copies, “I think of myself as a little old lady trying to make a living and I'm doing alright, so if you don’t want to buy my book, don’t then!”. 

Miriam's charm as well as her aura of wisdom, left people feeling both entertained and inspired. When asked for her most important piece of advice to younger generations, she paused, the audience waited for her thought-provoking and deeply meaningful response, “If I have advice, it is for women, do your pelvic floor exercises”. 

At the end of the talk, Miriam was asked for the most useful piece of advice she had received, her response was true to her character, “Tell the truth, that’s the only thing that really matters. Tell the truth, it is a holy thing and it is in your power”.