Miriam Margolyes on Harry Potter, Blackadder & How To Be Confident

The Romesh Ranganathan Show

Ranga Bee & Platform Media

Comedy, Society & Culture

4.6 • 713 Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2026

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What happens when you put Miriam Margolyes and Romesh in a room together? Surprisingly brilliant life advice and a mild flirtation... BAFTA-winning actor, author and national treasure Miriam Margolyes joins Romesh Ranganathan for one of the funniest, frankest and most unpredictable episodes yet. Miriam reflects on her extraordinary career, from Blackadder and Harry Potter to her deep love of Charles Dickens, theatre and live audiences. She also discusses her new documentary, 'Miriam Margolye Made Me Me', her upcoming book 'Miriam’s Full English', life on Cameo, and why getting older has made her bolder. Expect candid opinions on fame, politics, kindness, reality TV, social issues and public figures, alongside stories from Cambridge Footlights, her long standing beef with John Cleese, working with comedy legends, and why she still believes in seizing the day. Plus: Shanthi’s question, audience absurdity and some truly unfiltered and unhinged moments… and yes, an on-air fart. It's a hilarious episode and unmistakably Miriam. A Ranga Bee Production in partnership with Platform. 00:00 Intro 03:32 A gift for Miriam 06:00 Miriam thinks Rom is sexy 07:40 The new documentary 09:00 On success 10:30 More on Miriam Margolyes Made Me Me 15:45 On being a farty old lady and reality TV 17:08 Writing a new book 18:09 Unhinged audience questions and Cameo 21:00 On Nigel Farage 26:48 Most proud moments 25:37 Shanthi’s question to Miriam 28:29 On importance and popularity 32:23 Humanity, kindness and politics 37:42 Does Miriam like a full english? 38:22 On touring and Miriam’s broad career 39:37 Miriam farts on the show 40:30 Getting into acting 43:38 Footlights and her beef with John Cleese 47:13 Working on Blackadder 50:32 Harry Potter and it’s legacy 51:46 A message to David Essex 52:30 Miriam’s favourite actor to work with 56:41 Most surprising person she’s worked with 58:50 Most important work 01:00:25 What’s next 01:01:55 Misquoted 01:09:45 Advice from Miriam 01:10:44 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Well, you came on, it will have been one of a number of small events in your life, but you came on my radio show a while ago.
0:07.6	I thought I'd done something.
0:09.8	So I do a show on Radio 2 on Saturdays.
0:12.1	That was it.
0:12.9	And you came in for that.
0:14.7	And you are like one of these people that are, what's the best way to describe it?
0:19.9	People have such a deep affection for you. There was, we posted a video from the, from the interview. And it's where, I think it went, I would describe it as viral. Yeah. I didn't know that. So basically it was, it was, well, I didn't catch it. Right. But so it was, it was, it was me telling you that I used to be a math stature And then you said, oh, you were a math teacher. I said, yeah, before I went into comedy, then you went, you were in comedy. So that was, that was a complete surprise to you. Right. So that's fine. That's absolutely fine. And it was really funny in the moment that's but that could you could have been offended
0:54.6	and upset by that no it's very difficult to offend me
0:57.9	but um so that went viral but then if you look at all the comments
1:01.5	on the clip people just adore you they absolutely adore you
1:06.6	makes me cry when you say that hello I'm Miriam Margies, and I'm going to be on the Ramesh show.
1:19.8	It's the Romish, Rangor.
1:23.4	Oh, shut up, Ramesh. I'm going to do your intro, Miriam. Oh, shut up, Ramesh.
1:28.6	I'm going to do your intro, Miriam.
1:30.4	Oh, are you?
1:31.7	If you don't like it.
1:32.4	I hate being introduced.
1:33.9	Feel free to, well, this is a good start then.
1:36.1	That's how we're going to...
1:37.3	I'm going to introduce you.
1:38.6	What are you going to say?
1:39.4	Do you know how to pronounce my name?
	...

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