Beloved actress Miriam Margolyes has shared a deeply personal update on her health, revealing that she is now officially registered as disabled due to declining mobility and ongoing medical conditions.
The 83-year-old star, known for her candid and humorous takes, spoke to Closer magazine about the challenges she’s been facing since undergoing heart valve surgery last year. The procedure involved fitting a cow’s aortic valve to avoid more invasive open-heart surgery.
Miriam also suffers from spinal stenosis, a painful condition that compresses nerves in the spine and severely affects movement. As a result, she now relies on mobility aids in her daily life.
“I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled,” she said. “I use all kinds of assistance. I’ve got two sticks and a walker — they’re such a bore. But I’ve just got a mobility scooter, and it’s actually a lot of fun.”
Despite her upbeat attitude, the veteran actress also expressed regret for not managing her health earlier in life, particularly around her weight.
“I feel I’ve been defeated by my weight,” she said in a previous podcast appearance. “I am fat. And to be fat and 82 is truly pathetic.”
In a recent interview on BBC Breakfast, Miriam acknowledged that her limited mobility has made it increasingly difficult to take on acting roles, admitting it’s been “a hard adjustment” in recent years.
Still, she remains resilient and finds joy in simple pleasures—like speeding around the shops with her mobility scooter, which she described as her new “toy with a basket.”
