Miriam Margolyes says her ‘morale is almost at rock bottom’ during lockdown

Miriam Margolyes has said her “morale is almost at rock bottom” during the lockdown, adding that she is “frightened” of dying from coronavirus.The 79-year-old actress told the Grounded With Louis Theroux podcast that she is “coping very badly” with the pandemic.

“My morale is almost at rock bottom, I get my pleasures from contact with people, that is what I enjoy and when I’m cut off from people as I have to be at the moment, I don’t do very well,” she said.

“I read, I watch television a lot, I think a bit, but I wouldn’t say that I’m having a very good time.”Margolyes added that her partner is currently in the Netherlands. The actress said: “It is unprecedented for all of us of course, and I’m disappointed in myself to be so wimpy about things.”

She said she would love to be someone who can “handle anything, but actually I can’t”.Margolyes added: “I thought… I was more substantial, but I’m not.“I have to admit that I am an insubstantial thing. I am totally alone and I’m nearly 79 and I’m not good at housework.”

She added: “I don’t cook, I talk and I read and that’s about all I can do. My driver, who I correspond with on Facebook and so on, he’s made a bird bath. Well I can’t do that, I’m not a cook. I can microwave beautifully, but I can’t cook.” The Harry Potter actress added that she is worried about the risk of catching Covid-19.

She said: “I’m frightened, I’m frightened of dying, less frightened than I used to be but I’m frightened of dying of this illness because it’s really unpleasant. It’s scary, I’m scared. So I’m really not having a good time.”Grounded With Louis Theroux is available to listen to on BBC Sounds every Monday and BBC Radio 4 every Wednesday at 8pm.