Miriam Margolyes reveals huge financial boost weeks after asking to be 'put down'

Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes revealed she has "never earned so much" in her career - weeks after being asked to be "put down" in a tragic end of life admission.

The legendary actress, 84, recently admitted she had "let her body down" in her younger years before acknowledging she would look into assisted dying if she was ever deteriorating in "pain and embarrassment".

However, speaking on The Late Late Show with host Patrick Kielty, she revealed how she was thriving financially, and expressed her immense gratitude at where she was in life.

Speaking backstage on the Irish chat show, Miriam, who played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter, said: "My life now is about making people feel happier because the world is in such a state and everybody is miserable and that can't be.

"We mustn't have that. So we've got to make people feel better about themselves. I mean, look at me, I'm 84, I'm fat, I've got a huge belly, I p*** myself. You know, I'm not beautiful but I've got energy and I'm still alive.

"How lucky am I? And I'm earning. I've never earned so much in my life."

Explaining why she was making more money than ever, Miriam, who is believed to be worth around £4.5m, added: "It's this Cameo thing. And then I found out, what's his name? Nigel Farage is on Cameo as well. What does he want with Cameos?"

Cameo is a site where members of the public can pay celebrities to make personalised videos for a friend or family member.

And as well as helping her bank balance, Miriam said it puts a joy on the faces of her fans, and she added: "Let's make people happier. Isn't that what life is all about?"

The on-screen star was in Ireland promoting her new memoir called The Little Book of Miriam.

In recent times, she has been open about her health, and Miriam revealed she was reliant on a walker.

The actress told Daily Mail's Weekend Magazine: "I've let my body down. I haven't taken care of it. I have to walk with a walker now. I wish I'd done exercise. It's the most ghastly waste of time, except that it keeps you going. So, I'm feeling foolish."

Miriam, who has spinal stenosis, also said that when the time came, she would ideally be beside her Australian professor partner Heather Sutherland at the home they bought together in Italy in 1973.

And speaking about what it would take for her to be "put down", she said: "I don't want to go through a slowly diminishing period of pain and embarrassment.

"If a stroke meant I couldn't speak, or I was doubly incontinent, or I lost my mind completely, I would ask to be put down. That's because I want to be who I am. I don't want to be less than I can be."