Miriam Margolyes Reveals Startling End-of-Life Wish in Candid Health Update

If there’s one thing Miriam Margolyes isn’t afraid of, it’s being blunt—whether she’s stealing scenes as Professor Sprout or stealing the show in just about any interview . But here’s a question I can’t stop thinking about: How often do we really pause to consider how we want the end of our own story to read? Miriam’s recent heart-to-heart about assisted dying isn’t just sobering—it’s a little bit hilarious in that deeply Margolyes way, sprinkled with regret, unfiltered truth, and absolutely zero patience for the “stiff upper lip” brigade . The woman once feared she’d “let her body down” by skipping the gym, and now, she’s openly dreading her next trip to the surgeon—and frankly, who could blame her? In a culture obsessed with youth, longevity and the perfect post-retirement plan, Miriam’s unsentimental take makes you reevaluate not only how you live, but maybe even how you’d want to go . Buckle up, because this isn’t just another celebrity health update . It’s an open invite to question what dignity, autonomy, and even wit look like in our final chapters . LEARN MORE.

Miriam Margolyes has shared her thoughts on assisted dying during a sobering new update on her health.

The comedian and Harry Potter actor has spoken candidly about her health in the past couple of years, explaining that she often worries about being able to afford adequate care when she retires and regrets having a ‘lack of discipline’ when it came to some of her lifestyle choices.

More recently, the Call the Midwife actor explained that she was fearful she ‘might die’ when faced with the prospect of having a 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.”

The 84-year-old painted a frank picture about her future in a new interview with The Daily Mail, Margolyes revealed a scenario in which she’d be in support of assisted dying.

The Harry Potter actor shared a sobering new health update (David Levenson/Getty Images)

“I don’t want to go through a slowly diminishing period of pain and embarrassment,” she said.

“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.”

Assisted dying is not currently legal in the UK, however the British Parliament is currently progressing the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which MPs voted through with a majority of 23 back in June.

Should the bill be 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.

Margolyes is also a patron of assisted dying group My Death My Decision, which advocates for the legalisation of assisted dying.

The actor is beloved by many for her role as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films (Warner Bros.)

Elsewhere in the interview, the actor went on to reveal her regrets about not leading an active lifestyle from a younger age, admitting that she felt like she’d ‘let my body down’.

The actor was previously diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a condition which causes a narrowing of the spinal canal, impacting her ability to walk, as well as osteoarthritis. 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.”