Miriam Margolyes is not just known for her impressive collection of acting accolades, she is also a beloved fixture on television chat shows thanks to her honest and unfiltered candour. In her latest projects, the 84-year-old performed in the Oscar-nominated short film A Friend of Dorothy, and took part in several travel documentaries.

Behind the spotlights, she has been with her partner for more than 58 years. In recent interviews, the Harry Potter star said she wishes to live together with her partner, Heather Sutherland. She described her as a "remarkable, brilliant woman" but the pair have never lived together. While the actress lives in London, her partner resides in Amsterdam, and they spend holidays together in Tuscany and New South Wales.

In 2023, she spoke on The Graham Norton Show about her future plans with Heather. She said: "We are together, but we live apart. She is in Amsterdam, and I am in London but now we want to live together. I really do want to live with her because we are old, and we haven't got much time left. It is silly to live apart."

When Miriam was invited by Australian broadcasting company 10News to promote her book, Oh Miriam!, she gave advice on how to keep a long-term relationship alive. She explained: "You must tell the truth, never let the sun set on a quarrel, listen to the other person and don't gamble with your happiness. Don't look for another genital, just be happy with what you've got.

"I think adultery is a nonsense. I think it wastes time, cherish what you have. And if it really isn't working, talk about it and part, but do it with kindness."

Miriam and Heather reportedly bought an old farm house in Italy and Miriam has plans to move out of London. "I might have to become Dutch. Heather has residency in Europe because she'd lived in Amsterdam for over 50 years, but we want to be together," she told Daily Mail.

The BAFTA winner has faced several medical setbacks, she battled with spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis, and has undergone a major heart operation. If her health continues to deteriorate, Miriam said she would choose assisted dying.

"If a stroke meant I couldn't speak, or I was double incontinent, or I lost my mind completely, I would ask to be put down. That's because I want to be who I am. I don't want to be less than I can be," she said.