Hello, I'm Kirstie Young. Thank you for downloading this podcast of Desert Island Disks from BBC Radio 4.

For rights reasons, the music choices are shorter than in the radio broadcast.

For more information about the program, please visit BBC.co.uk.

Radio 4. My cousin My castaway this week is Celia Imry, instantly recognizable as one of Britain's most versatile

actresses. She's worked in television, theatre and films for the past four decades.

Roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company and in big budget movies, yes. But it's her instinct

for TV comedy that has made her a household name. First in Acorn Antiques and then

dinner ladies. The sound of people laughing is a bit like being drunk, she

says. I'd rather they laughed at me than be silent.

As a child, she dreamt of becoming a ballerina, but she was considered not to be the right shape

for classical ballet, and after suffering the bitter disappointment of, turned to acting.

Her film credits include Bridget Jones's diary, Nanny McPhee, and calendar girls.

In the letter she had to pose topless with only some delicately placed patisserie sparing

her blushes. She says, I don't like taking my

clothes off in front of myself, leave alone anyone else. So shooting that scene Celia

Imri was a tricky moment in your long and distinguished career was it?

It really was something that we all were sort of dreading I suppose.

We all woke up that morning like it was an exam. But I suppose I had the advantage of being first

so get it over and done with. Right and you did look you were in your early 50s at

that point you looked in terrific shape had you done that usual star thing of

the zone diet and down at the gym for a half every day for six months prior yes we

all suddenly were crammed into the gym I loath gyms. We were all swimming at six o'clock in the morning.

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