Despite a sparkling career that’s seen her become a BAFTA Award winner, a comedy legend and a dame, Joanna Lumley is one of the most down to earth people you'll meet.
In an exclusive interview in Good Housekeeping’s April issue, Joanna opened up about the latter achievement - and what really happened when she met Princess Anne at the ceremony.
“I was met by Princess Anne, but sadly I was so overwhelmed with emotion that I could barely speak," she says.
"I apologised and she said: 'Don’t worry, you have a lovely brim on your hat.' She kept on talking before I curtseyed and went out into the Picture Gallery. Stevie was there waiting and I just burst into tears."
At 76, Joanna says life is all about living on her toes. She has recently toured the Banda Islands, Zanzibar and Madagascar for a new series exploring the centuries-old spice trade, which will come to ITV and ITVX later this year.
"You can have an adventure at any age," she says.
"I’m not saying everyone should go and do a 14-day trek up some very steep mountains. But, if you’re like me and you’re scared of something, be brave. Chances are, you’ll come back and say: 'Well, wasn’t that something?"'
Busier than ever, Joanna has also launched a podcast, Joanna & The Maestro, with her conductor husband, Stephen Barlow, about their shared love of classical music. She revealed to GH that it was born out of one of the pair's evening rituals.
"Every night, I have a bath and listen to Classic FM while Stevie is in the bedroom reading. During my bath, I’ll shout out questions about the music, such as: 'How old was Tchaikovsky when he wrote this?'" she says.
"Without fail, Stevie, who’s a musical genius, patiently puts his book down and answers me. So the podcast is me in conversation with him, asking all the silly questions that somebody like me has."
The pair first met when Joanna was 31 and they've been married for more than 35 years, but Joanna explained that marriage wasn't always on the cards.
"The truth is, if I wasn’t married to Stevie, I wouldn’t be married," she says.
"I’ve always loved men, but I never thought: 'Oh, I want to settle down.' It simply didn’t cross my mind. But there was something different about him; I was drawn to his whole mindset – and his knowledge of music."
Despite enjoying being busy, Joanna has spoken frankly about experiencing a breakdown in her 20s due to burnout and says she approaches stress very differently these days.
"I will never, ever misread anything so badly again in my life," she says.
"Now, if I’m tired, I will make sure to put my head down and go to sleep. If there’s something completely awful happening, I deal with it head-on or I let it go. I don’t do stress any more; I won’t let myself go there."
Read the full interview with Joanna Lumley in the April 2023 issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale 23rd February. It is available in all supermarkets and online at MagsDirect.
Joanna & The Maestro is available on all podcast platforms.
