Anne Reid reveals Derek Jacobi's hospital cocktail hour

The Last Tango In Halifax co-stars dine together every night during filming of the BBC show, so when Sir Derek found himself in hospital after suffering a nasty injury on holiday, Anne rushed to visit him.

She said: “He was where the Queen goes if she’s ill and Kate [Middleton] with her morning sickness. It’s not like us going into some terrible NHS hospital.”

Anne recounted how she had walked into a room full of balloons and flowers: “I said, ‘I see you’re being ignored again’.”

She continued: “He had another friend there and asked if we’d like a drink, rang down and a few minutes later, a nurse came in with a tray with three G&Ts on it. I don’t mind going into hospital if it’s going to be like that.”

The 80-year-old also talked about how much she loves her Last Tango In Halifax character, Celia, who is disapproving of her daughter coming out as a lesbian.

She said: “I absolutely adore this character because she’s so multi-faceted, as people are. So often you only get to play a couple of sides of somebody but with her I go, within a scene, from being foul, to entertaining, to kind and that’s people. It’s much easier to get right if it’s strong brush strokes and that’s why I think Shakespeare’s a doddle.

“Derek and I wouldn’t agree about that, he would be horrified, but the thoughts there are very clear. In Sally Wainwright’s work, the characters are like paintings with lots of detail. It’s a nightmare to learn and play, darling!”

Anne Reid is currently starring in Last Tango In Halifax, which airs on Sunday nights on BBC One.