'I HAVE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN life & work'

Flesh And Blood star Imelda Staunton says time out of the spotlight is her wellbeing secret

- GEORGIA FARQUHARSON

Legendary actor Imelda Staunton is set to take on the biggest TV role of them all, playing Queen Elizabeth II when filming starts on the fifth and final season of Netflix series The Crown, due to air in 2022.

And while she describes the role – previously played by Claire Foy and Olivia Colman – as an ‘honour,’ life in the limelight isn’t something she ever wished for.

Despite a hugely successful career, Imelda, 64, who recently appeared in ITV crime drama Flesh And Blood, says, ‘I avoid the showbiz glare. I like to just get on with my life. After work, I don’t want to then have to dress up and be with people talking about the job I do. No, I just do the job and then I go home and do my shopping and my cooking.’

For Imelda, overall happiness is the key to having a healthy lifestyle.

‘I have the right balance between life and work,’ she says. ‘I make time to do what I want to do rather than just taking time to do what I think I ought to.

‘The word “celebrity” makes me feel sick when it’s applied to me, because I’m not. I’m a jobbing actor. That’s really all I want to do.’