Comedian and actress Miriam Margoyles said, ‘I will never forgive myself’ as she recalled a moment of ‘frustration and rage’ while looking after her beloved mum following a stroke
Miriam Margoyles is adored across the nation for her witty sense of humour and hilariously candid remarks, but away from her on-screen energy, the comedian and actress holds remorse for an accident involving her mum.
The 83-year-old is best known for her work across TV, film and on stage, including in the Harry Potter movie franchise from 2001 to 2011, where she starred as Professor Pomona Sprout and in The Age of Innocence as Mrs Mingott. Notably, she’s also delighted fans with her humour across her very own adventure documentary series on BBC, exploring the likes of America, Australia and Scotland.
Away from our screens, Miriam, who was born in Oxford, opened up about her family life and recalled a “moment of frustration and rage” while looking after her mother. The actress helped care for her mum, Ruth, following a stroke which saw her health deteriorate before she passed away in 1974. In an honest interview, Miriam recalled this time and admitted to “hitting” her mum.
Miriam shared with Saga Magazine: “After her stroke, Mummy was semi-paralysed, in a wheelchair and couldn’t speak.” She continued, “Daddy looked after her but once a week I’d bring all the shopping. I’d wash her and take care of her. I adored my mother, but in a moment of frustration and rage, because when you are looking after someone it’s hard, I hit her.
“It was the most wicked thing I have ever done I will never forgive myself. The heart-rending part was as soon as I’d done it, I burst into tears and kept saying, ‘Mummy I’m sorry’ and she just held me and she forgave me.”
In the same interview, Miriam, who has been in a relationship with Heather Sutherland for almost 60 years, opened up about the moment she told her parents about her sexuality. The Harry Potter star said her parents were “horrified” when they heard that she was dating a woman and that her “mother couldn’t bear it”.
“It was like hearing that her daughter was a Nazi. It made Mummy so unhappy, and not long afterwards, she had a stroke,” she said. Miriam heartbreakingly said she wished she “kept it to myself”, but has since been happily living with her partner for years.
During an appearance on This Morning 2020, Miriam opened up about her relationship with Heather and sweetly shared, “I was lucky enough to find someone who was prepared to love me, I’m not that loveable – I’m smelly and noisy and all that sort of thing. But she loves me and I want to be with her for the rest of my life, that’s all I want.”
