Hello and welcome to Women with Balls, where I, Katie Balls, talk to today's Trailblazers.

Today I'm delighted to be joined by Dame Joan Collins, the actress, author and entrepreneur.

Collins is an award-winning actress whose career spans three quarters of a century, including

1950s Hollywood movies to her role as Alexis

Carrington and dynasty, for which she won the best actress going in 1982 at the Golden

Globes for her performance. Collins has a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame for career

achievement. In 2015, she was made a dame by the Queen for her services to charity.

Over her career, Collins has earned a reputation for her one-liners and go-getting attitude.

On her career, she once said,

Show me a person who has never made a mistake, and I'll show you somebody who has never achieved much.

On looks, the problem with beauty is that it's like being born rich and getting poorer.

And on men, I've never yet met a man who could look after me.

I don't need a husband.

What I need is a wife.

Joan now joins me down the line from France.

The podcast budget didn't quite cover a trip to the French Riviera.

Thanks again for joining me today, Joan.

So, Joan, on this podcast, we'd like to start by rewinding the hands of time to earlier on in your life.

Perhaps before you was such a household name.

And I thought to begin, you were born in a theatrical family in West London,

and you made your stage debut at the age of nine.

Was acting encouraged in your family?

...