Miriam Margolyes says she was “never ashamed of being a lesbian” as she makes her debut on the cover of British Vogue at the age of 82.

The award-winning actress, known for her loose tongue and endearing eccentricity, said gay people are “not conventional” and she “wouldn’t want to be straight at any cost.”

Margolyes is known for a wide range of work in television and film, including roles in Blackadder, Babe and the Harry Potter series.

She is featured in the July issue of British Vogue alongside other “LGBTQ+ pioneers” including Ncuti Gatwa and Emma D’Arcy.

In an accompanying interview, she talks about her sexuality and says that she has always tried to “make people feel good in their own skin.”

“It’s a powerful position to be in when you’re not afraid to be yourself,” she said.

“We are all so insecure. People are so scared and I have always tried to give people a good sense of self-worth.”

Margolyes came out as a lesbian in 1966, at a time when homosexuality was illegal, and lived through the HIV crisis of the 1980s, during which she lost 34 friends.

She has been with her partner, academic Heather Sutherland, for 54 years.

“I was never really ashamed of being a lesbian or anything,” she told British Vogue.

“I knew it wasn’t a crime because I was it. I couldn’t be a criminal.”

She added: “I think gays and lesbians are very lucky because we are not conventional, we are a somewhat separate group. That gives us an advantage.”

“We are good artists, we are good musicians. And I like being gay. I don’t want to be straight at any cost.”

The full interview with Miriam Margolyes can be read online on the British Vogue website.