Joanna Lumley at the BBC

In celebration of her 80th birthday, we hear some of the highlights of Dame Joanna Lumley’s life on screen.

Joanna was born in Kashmir and educated by nuns in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur as her father was stationed around the world with the Gurkhas.

She remembers being too cool to talk to John Lennon when she sat next to him, missing a double date with the Everly Brothers, turning down a proposal from Ken Barlow on the street, being rejected by both RADA and the New Avengers, until she joined an audition queue at Pinewood Studios. On Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson is impressed by her handbrake turns in that yellow Triumph TR7. We also hear how she cultivated a friendship with Priscilla Presley. Highlights include winning a Bafta, campaigning successfully for Gurkha veterans to be able to settle in the UK, being made a Dame, meeting real life Patsy’s, watching the set of Amandaland literally being blown away on location and former boyfriend Rod Stewart recording a song for her.

All told through interviews, where she was never afraid to laugh at herself, with BBC presenters Kirsty Young, Steve Wright, Janey Lee Grace, Tim Smith, Michael Parkinson, Jeremy Clarkson, Mark Lawson, Clara Amfo, Vernon Kay and Jo Whiley.