07 December 2023 , 17:46
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Miriam Margolyes has apologised to Steph McGovern after telling her she wasn't 'beautiful', admitting that it was an 'awful' thing to say to the podcast host.
The British-Australian actress joined Steph's Packed Lunch on Thursday for a chat about her latest projects, appearing virtually from her villa in Tuscany, Italy via a video link. The 41-year-old began the interview by reminding Miriam, 82, about the controversial statement she'd made the last time she was on the Channel 4 show in 2021.
After the Harry Potter star had complimented Steph on her sparkling top, the TV presenter took the opportunity to recall the outrage over her guest's past remarks.
"I remember the last time you were on, and you said to me about not being pretty," Steph told to Miriam, who appeared visibly shocked by the remark. "My god, what a cheek of me," she gushed. "I'm so sorry. That's rude."
Steph then assured Miriam she wasn't offended by the comment, insisting she knew the Happy Feet star wasn't "saying it as an insult" and that she just meant she could "potentially have other things I could offer rather than looks!" She also told Miriam that she appreciated her honesty, before asking her about the root of her blunt personality. "Listen, that's what I love about you. You just say what you think! And where does that confidence come from? You strike me as someone who just says how you feel and how you think and that is so refreshing," she said.
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Steph reminded Miriam that the Harry Potter star told her she wasn't 'beautiful' the last time she was on the podcastMiriam acknowledged that she was upfront but admitted she regretted her words about Steph's image: "I tell the truth but I don't think I should just say what pops into my head because it might hurt someone and it's rude. And that sounds as if I'm saying you're not pretty or something like that which is awful. I should never say that!"
At the time of Miriam's remark, Steph didn't appear too fazed and even turned it into a positive. "I think you're onto something with this though because I think being beautiful is a hindrance, so I'm glad I'm not the beautiful one because there's then so many expectations of you," she replied. Viewers weren't thrilled by the exchange, however, with many taking to social media to vehemently disagree with Miriam.
"As if Miriam Margolyes just called Steph 'not beautiful' she's gorgeous!" one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I thought Miriam was extremely rude with what she said to Steph about not being beautiful, having no boundaries seems to give you clearance to insult people it was cruel and uncalled for," another unimpressed Internet user wrote, before adding, "Steph is a beautiful woman."
Miriam has previously shared her open struggles with body image, admitting that she wishes she'd lost weight when she was younger. "The one thing I have not conquered and should have conquered is my weight," she said on the How To Fail podcast earlier this year. "I am a blubber mass... I am fat. And to be fat and 82 is truly pathetic."