Miriam Margolyes says she ‘wants to be put down’ in heartbreaking health update

'I wish I’d done exercise'

Comedian and Harry Potter star Margolyes has spoken openly about her health over the past couple of years, explaining that she often worries about being able to afford adequate care when she retires and regrets her 'lack of discipline' regarding certain lifestyle choices in the past, according to RadioTimes.

More recently, Margolyes opened up about her fear that she 'might die' when faced with the prospect of having her second knee replacement.

"I will not have any more operations," she said on the podcast Bedside Manners back in May.

"I am vulnerable now, and I don't think I would survive an operation, so I'm not having one," she added.

Miriam, who's 84 years old, detailed a scenario in which she would support assisted dying in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"I don’t want to go through a slowly diminishing period of pain and embarrassment," she explained.

She went on to say: "If a stroke meant I couldn’t speak, or I was doubly 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."

The process of assisted dying is not currently legal in the UK, however, the British Parliament is progressing the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which MPs voted through with a majority of 23 around two months ago.

In the case that this bill is signed into law, terminally ill adults with a life expectancy of less than six months in England and Wales would be allowed to legally end their lives.

The Call the Midwife actor is also a contributor to the assisted dying group My Death My Decision, which advocates for the legalisation of assisted dying.

During the interview, Margolyes mentions her regrets about not leading an active enough lifestyle from a younger age, admitting that she felt she had 'let her body down'.

Margolyes was previously diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a condition which causes a narrowing of the spinal canal, leading to walking difficulties, as well as osteoarthritis.

Aside from that, she also underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation surgery a few years back to resolve heart issues.

"I haven’t taken care of it. I have to walk with a walker now," she said.

"I wish I’d done exercise. It’s the most ghastly waste of time, except that it keeps you going. So, I’m foolish."