Miriam Margoyles has fully established herself as chat show gold. The actress, 81, who hosts Channel 4's Miriam's Dickensian Christmas on Tuesday, December 20, is famously outspoken and never afraid to say what she thinks.
Over the years, appearances on the likes of BBC's The Graham Norton Show and ITV's This Morning have turned Miriam into something of an icon on social media. You'll almost certainly have come across a clip of her out-there comments or 'accidental' gaffes at some point.
With such a persona, Miriam has also found herself at the centre of several controversies. Read on for some of the times that she found herself in hot water. You can get more TV news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Being told to "be quiet" by the Queen
Miriam was lucky enough to meet Queen Elizabeth II as part of British Book Week a few years ago. However, not all went exactly to plan.
Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on ITV's This Morning, Miriam recalled how the Queen had asked her what she did and she replied: “I’m the best reader of stories in the whole world,” which she said prompted an eye-roll from the late monarch.
When the Queen moved on to speak to the next person, Miriam butted into their conversation to exclaim how “interesting” it was. She added to Phillip and Holly: “She turned to me and said, ‘Be quiet!’ Which she had every right to do.”
Miriam's message for Jeremy Hunt
Earlier this year, Miriam sparked controversy once again after revealing what she'd wanted to say to Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, she told presenters Martha Kearney and Justin Webb that she had greeted Hunt, who had been interviewed on Saturday morning’s programme before her.
“When I saw him [Hunt] there, I just said: ‘What a hell of a job, the best of luck.’ And what I really wanted to say was ‘F*** you, b*****d,’ but you can’t say that,” she said prompting Webb to quickly apologise for the language, adding: “Oh, no, no, no, you mustn’t say that. No, you can’t say that! We’ll have to have you out of the studio now.”
Wanting Boris Johnson to "die"
Comments that Miriam made on Channel 4's The Last Leg about former Prime Minister Boris Johnson earnt her 494 Ofcom complaints. Speaking to presenter Adam Hills from her kitchen via webcam, Miriam was responding to the question: "How do you think the government have handled everything (regarding the coronavirus pandemic) so far?"
She replied: "Appallingly of course... It's a disgrace... It's a public scandal. I had difficulty not wanting Boris Johnson to die, I wanted him to die, and then I thought that reflects badly on me and I don't want to be the sort of person who wants people to die. So, then I wanted him to get better, which he did do, he did get better, but he didn't get better as a human being and I really would prefer that."
Following the comments, Ofcom officials said that no further action would be taken. A statement from the TV watchdog said while the comments were "provocative" and had "clear potential to offend", viewers must balance that with Miriam's forthright reputation and the adult tone of The Last Leg - a late-night satirical comedy show.
Miriam's Dickensian Christmas airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday, December 20
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