'I treasure the moments with my grandson'

Actor Alison Steadman on ageing, Gavin & Stacey and reuniting with her on-screen husband Larry Lamb

- VICKI POWER

Alison Steadman particularly endeared herself to the nation with her portrayal of ebullient, daffy Pam Shipman in Gavin & Stacey from 2007 to 2019. Before that, though, she'd already enjoyed three decades as a celebrated actor, starring in Abigail's Party in 1977, Life is Sweet in 1990, the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice and Fat Friends in the early 2000s.

So it comes as a surprise that the 76-year-old star admits she didn't always have great self-esteem - on the contrary, Alison has suffered some anxiety over the years.

'I didn't have very much confidence,' she says. "When I was younger, I'd go somewhere for dinner in an unfamiliar place and I'd think, "Am I using the right knife and fork? Should I have my napkin on my lap? Am I wearing the right frock?" I've been in a state.'

Alison was also unable to sight-read early on in her career, which made script read-throughs a nightmare.

'I used to find doing the first read-through so difficult and I would stumble and stammer over words,' she says. "I think I've got a mild form of dyslexia. There is dyslexia in my family. Eventually, I analysed the problem and was able to teach myself to sight-read.'