Dame Eileen Atkins

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2025

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

To end our second year of Rosebud, we have one of our most charming, talented and brilliant theatrical dames: Dame Eileen Atkins. Dame Eileen is a uniquely talented writer and actor, both on stage and screen - from Cranford, to the RSC, to The Killing of Sister George on Broadway, to Upstairs, Downstairs and The House of Eliot (which she co-created), to Mrs Dalloway (for which she wrote the screenplay). And this is one of our most entertaining interviews yet, with stories from Dame Eileen's long life and career . From her early years in Tottenham, when a gypsy going door-to-door prophesied that the three year-old Eileen would be a world-famous dancer, to her career as a child performer playing the working men's clubs, to her school days in Edmonton - the anecdotes from Eileen's life are brilliantly told. We then hear about her days at drama school, her friendship with Sir Alec Guinness and a couple of very funny stories from her working life.

This is a fitting end to a fabulous two years for our podcast. We're very proud of the show we've created, and of our community of listeners - we're grateful to each and every one of you for your emails, your ears, your reviews, and your time. Thank you so much for being here with us! And thank you to Dame Eileen for this special conversation. Here's to many more years of Rosebud to come. Enjoy this.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	And what brings you to Leonardo Hotels today?
0:02.9	Our son's graduation.
0:04.5	The company team building day.
0:06.0	The central location.
0:07.5	The big match.
0:08.7	Delicious buffet breakfast.
0:10.2	The comfy room.
0:11.3	The dream bed.
0:12.8	At Leonardo Hotels, if it's important to you, it's important to us.
0:17.3	Come join us.
0:18.3	For our best rates, book direct at leonardohotels.com.uker.ukes. On Rosebud, I think we've become known for the distinguished theatrical dames who have been our guests.
0:54.8	We were privileged to be able to broadcast, I think, the last interview with Dame Maggie Smith.
1:00.5	We began, a couple of years ago, with Dame Judy Dench as a guest.
1:06.0	All sorts of great dames from literally Dame Penelope Keith to dame penelope Wilton, Dame Joanna Lumley,
1:14.0	Dame Maureen Lippman, Dame Sheila Hancock. If you're a distinguished actress and you're a Dame,
1:19.6	it seems you're on Rosebottom. One who has slipped through the net so far is one who is
1:26.9	really an old friend of mine. I love her, I admire her
1:31.3	hugely. She is a hugely admired actress. Often she is called the greatest actress of her
1:40.5	generation. She was born in 34, in Tottenham in London. She was made a dame back in 1991.
1:50.7	She's perhaps not as famous in terms of being a household name as some of those other dames I just
1:56.7	mentioned. She is Dame Eileen Atkins. And what's interesting about her is that she has been an American
2:04.6	and British stage and screen star since 1957. And I emphasise the American, both because happily
	...

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