‘I’m Joanna Lumley’s neighbour – she showed true colours when I waved to say hello to her’

Ahead of her birthday Dame Joanna Lumley has spoken about the key to her successful career and personal relationships as fans also chipped in to celebrate the major milestone

A neighour of Dame Joanna Lumley has spoken about her(Image: Getty)

A neighbour of Dame Joanna Lumley has spoken about what the Absolutely Fabulous star is like when she says hello.

Sending a message into Vernon Kay’s BBC Radio 2 show on Monday, gardener Heather told Vernon that Joanna, who turns 80 today (May 1), is very polite when she is waved at in south London.

She told the BBC presenter: “She lives round the corner from me in London. When she walks along our street, I always give her a wave and say ‘hello’. She always responds with a wave and a dazzling smile. Tremendous human being. Says Heather the Gardener.”

In response, Vernon said: “She has that hazy aura around her, you know what I mean? She was extremely courteous when she came in and did Tracks Of My Years. Very nice and always interested in you as opposed to ‘I’m Joanna Lumley’. Fabulous.”

As Joanna approaches her 80th birthday, she has been reflecting on her career to date, which has spanned multiple decades and seen her appear in a wide range of roles and formats.

As well as the aforementioned Absolutely Fabulous, she has also appeared in Wednesday, The Wolf of Wall Street, James and the Giant Peach, Coronation Street, and Ella Enchanted.

Dame Joanna Lumley(Image: ITV)

Furthermore, she has appeared in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and has also featured on Channel 4 programmes such as Car SOS.

Speaking to The Telegraph ahead of her birthday, Dame Joanna said she was happy to still be working, but stressed that people were making a bigger deal of it than she felt they should.

She explained: “It’s extraordinary, isn’t it? I’ve been saying I’m 80 for the last two or three years because I thought I was, but I wasn’t.

“People are making a big hoo-ha about this 80, as if I’m somehow going to be different, as if some huge precipice is being reached. I’ll be working on my birthday. I’m thrilled and I’m touched that people have remembered and think about it more than I do.”

On how she keeps herself going, Dame Joanna told The i that one of her secrets to her continued career is a lack of certainty.

 

Dame Joanna Lumley(Image: BBC)

She said: “Having no certainty keeps you vibrant and engaged. You’re always trying something new.”

As well as talking about her career, Joanna has also opened up about her life with her husband Stephen Barlow as the pair prepare to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

Speaking to Yours magazine, she said the key to their long marriage was doing separate things. She explained: “I go off on trips and I do stuff and film. He goes off and does operas and things.

“But I think one of the first things you’ve got to have with whoever you marry, who is going to be your chosen companion, is respect. You’ve got to think the world of them.”