Dame Joan Collins has criticised the prevalence of woke ideology in Britain, claiming it has led to the loss of the nation’s sense of humour.
In an exclusive interview with Andrew Pierce on GB News, the Hollywood legend expressed her concerns about the current state of comedy and political correctness.
Collins said: “I think it’s gone out of control, really. You can’t say anything. People get offended. We’ve lost our British sense of humour.”
The actress, who prefers to be called an “actress” rather than “actor”, shared her views on the changing landscape of the entertainment industry.
Dame Joan Collins spoke to Andrew Pierce on GB News
GB News
“I grew up with my father going to – because he was an agent for variety halls – and so we would go and we would see outrageous comedians making jokes about their mother-in-law and fat people.
“You can’t say that now. You can’t say any of that stuff now.”
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Dame Joan also shared her preference for the term “actress” over “actor” when referring to female performers.
“I don’t call myself an actor. If I’m in a room with some actors and actresses, I call us actors, and I do sometimes call myself a jobbing actor, but on the whole, I like to be called an actress,” she explained.
Collins emphasised the importance of maintaining gender distinctions in professional titles.
“It’s a very pretty word and it’s feminine, and I consider myself to be feminine and a feminist. And why should we be called female actors? I find it demeaning, frankly,” she added.
Dame Joan Collins meeting Princess Diana
PA
Later in the interview the Dame recounted her meeting with former US president Donald Trump describing him as “very nice” and “very charming.”
She shared her experiences with several British Prime Ministers during the interview.
She spoke fondly of Tony Blair, saying: “The only person who’s invited me to Chequers was Tony Blair, the only one. I sat next to him. We had a really good talk. I liked him a lot.”
Collins also expressed affection for Boris Johnson, calling him a friend and praising his humour.
She is an icon in the entertainment industry
PA
The actress commended John Major’s public speaking skills, recounting a memorable experience with Shirley Bassey at Downing Street.
Collins reserved particular praise for Margaret Thatcher, stating: “I loved Mrs Thatcher. I thought she was wonderful. She was so wonderful. I was at her funeral as well.”
She admired Thatcher’s work ethic, adding: “I thought she was a great example of people getting up off their asses and getting down to it.
“I think there’s just too much lying about today. My god, why is there so much mental health stuff?”