STAR of comedy Miranda Sarah Hadland has begged fans to stop commenting on her age while she competes on Strictly Come Dancing.
The 53-year-old actress has been performing with 2023 champion Vito Coppola during this year’s series of the BBC One show.
So far in this year's Strictly, the duo have frequently landed in the top quarter of the judges’ leaderboard.
Speaking to The Times, Hadland said: “I’d love for my age not to be commented on, for it to be accepted that women are amazing and don’t need to be limited when men seem to be allowed to do things without any comment.
“But if women watch and go, ‘Wow, I’m in my 50s, I could do that too,’ then that’s absolutely brilliant.
“Rather than go on about it, I’d rather just show what I can do. We need to change this narrative of women having a shelf life.
“I know loads my age who are really fit and active, they don’t drop off the ends of the Earth. We just need to be more visible.”
The Strictly star went on to share what it was like to complete her first marathon in her 30s, adding: “It was a similar thing — I wondered if I could do it and a lot of people said ‘no, no’, but in the end that galvanised me.”
Speaking about her relationship with exercise, she said: “When I was young I exercised because I wanted to be thin and that’s an appalling goal.
“Now I exercise because I want to be strong and capable, I want my child to see me fit and healthy and because it helps my mental health.”
Hadland is most known for playing Stevie Sutton in Miranda Hart’s eponymous BBC sitcom.
Comedian and actress Hart, 51, who recently revealed her battle with Lyme disease, visited Hadland and Coppola during rehearsals in a clip shown on the programme last weekend.
She can be seen surprising the pair while dressed as a “choreographer” – wearing a black turtleneck and holding a small dog.
On Saturday, Hadland and Coppola will perform the American Smooth to Proud by Heather Small, a song Hadland’s character Stevie is often seen singing in Miranda.
