Miriam Margolyes has 'vital' backstage demand on tour and it's not what you'd expect

Miriam Margolyes is renowned for her unfiltered wit and a penchant for dropping shockingly inappropriate remarks during interviews. Despite her bold personality, the 84-year-old actress reveals in her new book, 'The Little Book of Miriam,' which she humorously claims to have penned "for the money," that her backstage demands are quite modest.

In her latest literary offering, an A-Z compendium of words dear to her or associated with a personal anecdote, R stands out with its multiple connotations. Among them, 'rider' is defined by Margolyes, who takes the opportunity to contrast her own down-to-earth requirements with the more extravagant demands of other celebrities.

For the uninitiated, a rider is essentially a list of stipulations provided by an artist or band to a promoter or venue, outlining their technical needs and creature comforts for a performance.

While some stars opt for lavishness, demanding bottles of bubbly and a smorgasbord of pricey nibbles, Margolyes champions simplicity.

She details her own rider in the book: "Mine is not complicated: give me Wi-Fi, good brown bread, butter, smoked salmon responsibly sourced, freshly sliced onions and Big Tom tomato juice, and I'm happy. A gin and tonic is always welcome too."

Commenting on those who request peculiar items like "bowls of blue M&Ms" or even "redecoration of the room," Margolyes considers such extravagances "silly" and superfluous.

Miriam, who became an internet sensation on TikTok for her expletive-laden swimming pool outburst declaring "f****** h***, s***, this is a f******* nightmare, f****** h***", revealed there's something even more crucial than her cherished onions, which she totes about as wholesome snacks and chomps like fruit.

The most "essential" requirement for Miriam is having "a loo within reach," something she believes is frequently "taken for granted".

Regarding touring and performing, Miriam remains passionate about it, describing it as "hard work but fun," and continues to relish entertaining varied crowds nightly whilst attempting to decipher what captivates them.

Miriam recently confessed she and her longtime companion Heather Sutherland, 82, intend to move to Tuscany in Italy because they require somewhere 'beautiful' to reside.

She explained: "The world around us has lost its charm. And we just want each other in a beautiful place which we know. We can toddle along and laugh and just quietly subside into old age. But together. We're here for such a short time. It's gone so fast. Mentally, I'm still fairly crisp."

Although the pair have been companions since 1968, Miriam described how they maintain independent lifestyles due to their demanding careers, though this arrangement might alter going forward.