Sheila Hancock, 88, has turned into ‘a mad, slutty bag lady’ during lockdown

Sheila Hancock, 88, has turned into ‘a mad, slutty bag lady’ during lockdown and ‘wants to have coffee with her mates’ because they help get rid of the ‘evil thoughts’ she has on her own

Dame Sheila Hancock has spoken about her experience of lockdown, and how she thinks its turned her mad.

The actress, 88, spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour about having to spend the best part of the past 12 months on her own.

‘I’ve done nothing – I’ve stood and stared at the walls. I’ve gone upstairs and thought “what am I up here for?” I am utterly confused,’ the Discovery Of Witches star said on Wednesday. ‘And I have come to no conclusions other than we need a revolution!’

‘There’s no one to get evil thoughts out of your head!’ Dame Sheila Hancock has spoken about her experience of lockdown, and how she thinks its turned her mad

Having been separated from her friends, Sheila went on: ‘Me personally – I just want to have a coffee with my mates!

‘I know that being on my own has driven me slightly mad. I was a bit mad but now I am really mad. There’s no one to get evil, confused thoughts out of your head.

‘Normally you think “oh my god I’m going to die” or “oh my neighbour or my grandchildren are going to die if they go back to school”. And a quick discussion with your mate will make you realise you’re talking absolute of rubbish. But I haven’t had that!’

She went on: ‘Things have got totally out of control. I’m actually quite scared of coming out [of lockdown]. I am so enjoying that I’m wearing my bottoms, dirty old trousers, no make-up, cutting bits of my hair off when it gets too long.

Solitary confinement: The actress, 88, spoke on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour about having to spend the best part of the past 12 months on her own [pictured in 2019]

Solitary confinement: The actress, 88, spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour about having to spend the best part of the past 12 months on her own [pictured in 2019]

‘I’ve enjoyed being slutty. I’m worried about having to look alright. I look like a bag lady when I go out, I have a terrible woolly hat and a horrible coat… social services will be knocking on the door eventually!’

Despite being desperate to interact with society again, Sheila admitted her worries about ‘being disciplined again’.

‘The next thing I’m doing is for television,’ the Kavanagh QC star said. ‘Getting up at a certain time and having make-up and shooting – I need that because this last year I have realised in my 88th year that I have no discipline at all!’

Bag lady: 'I've enjoyed being slutty. I'm worried about having to look alright. I look like a bag lady when I go out, I have a terrible woolly hat and a horrible coat... social services will be knocking on the door eventually,' she joked [pictured in similar garb in A Discovery Of Witches]

Bag lady: ‘I’ve enjoyed being slutty. I’m worried about having to look alright. I look like a bag lady when I go out, I have a terrible woolly hat and a horrible coat… social services will be knocking on the door eventually,’ she joked [pictured in similar garb in A Discovery Of Witches]

New series: Sheila and Gyles Brandreth will be seen on the new season of Great Canal Journeys

New series: Sheila and Gyles Brandreth will be seen on the new season of Great Canal Journeys

Of ‘the revolution’ she believes is needed, Sheila added: ‘The vast divisions in our country, the gross undervaluation of the people that have got us through this mess…

‘It’s no good standing on a step with a torch and clapping, that’s nonsense and I never do that! We have just got to get down to making our society work better!

‘I don’t like decisions that are made for political reasons as opposed to the welfare of the country which is what’s been happening! Most of the mistakes are because politicians don’t want to offend other members of their party – that sort of thing is where I want to see change!’