Despite all this, the programme seems to receive a good deal of criticism?
Whatever our critics in the press say, Crossroads does a very good job! It does the job it was designed to do.
Its ratings are amazing and a heck-of-a-lot of people like it. And from the actors' point of view, apart from eating
- which is important - it gives you more chance to act than possibly anything else. Over 11 years, the different stories
I've acted in ...! I mean, a lifetime of acting would never even get near a tenth of them! We're very conscious
of the time limit, and to be in Crossroads you have to be a very professional actor. We rehearse Mondays, Tuesdays and
Wednesdays, then on Thursdays and Fridays we record.
Which doesn't leave you much spare time, surely?
Time? I haven't got any! You can write off the weekdays and nights for a start! On the weekends I do
as little as possible because I find that if I start tearing around everywhere, I'm worn out on Monday morning with a whole
week ahead of me. Really, you give up a personal life.
Is this why you've never married?
Look, I really think no-one has ever really wanted to marry me! I've been going at this since I was two-and-a-half
and I've never really met anyone I'd give up the business for. I have one or two ideas though ... I'd give it up for
Charles Aznavour ...
And Larry Grayson?
Oh Larry, bless his soul ...! No, I'm a bit old fashioned really. As I said, I'm not really a very capable
person and I couldn't work and be married at the same time. If I had a husband running around I don't know what would
happen to him. God knows, poor soul!
It sounds as if you're not a great believer in Women's Lib?
Well you see. I'm a very strange animal. I've been liberated all my life dear! I think it's an awfully
sad thing that they've had to pass laws to make women equal. I don't want to be equal to a man; I think I'm far superior
... always have done! I am a great believer in equal rights. I think that if a woman is doing the same work as
a man she should get the same rates. But I think this idea of calling women 'washer person' or whatever is hysterical!
Have you run into problems in your career being a woman?
People try to take advantage of a woman. They do. But they don't do it twice! My father died some years
ago and both my mother and I have found that from time to time people do try to take advantage of you. But actually,
I find people are very nice to me.
Does the knowledge that eight million-plus people watch you perform bother you?
I never think that eight million people are looking at me every night. Never! That would really drive you
mad! I still get nervous ... every night. I was warned about this on Lunchbox when I first started ... if you
think about the eight million people you will go screaming out of the building!
