Joanna Lumley Accepts Lifetime Achievement Award

4 December 2015

Joanna Lumley admitted she thinks it's "extraordinary" how far women have come since she first became an actress before she accepted her Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sky Women in Film and TV Awards today (04.12.15).

Joanna Lumley at the Sky Women in Film and TV Awards

The 69-year-old star was presented with the accolade by her close friend and 'Absolutely Fabulous' co-star Jennifer Saunders this afternoon and confessed that while she's thrilled with how much progress women have made in the industry, she still thinks there's a long way to go.

Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the annual awards ceremony at the London Hilton on Park Lane, she said: "Since I've been in film and television I've seen the status of women changing immensely, but of course there's much further to go.

"When I began, having left school wanting to get into the film industry, they said there's only really one job you can do which isn't a make-up artist and that's to be a continuity girl. There was no question of anyone being a producer, a director, no one would have ever been an accountant or a designer. It's extraordinary how far we've come, but we've got just as far to go again."

The legendary actress also confessed she was thrilled to "even be considered let alone to be given the honour of receiving" the award.

The actresses Charlotte Rampling and Sharon Horgan and comedienne Sandi Toksvig also took home awards on the day.

Sky Women in Film and TV Awards full list of winners are as follows:

The Barclays Business Award - Marigo Kehoe

The FremantleMedia UK New Talent Award - Regina Moriarty

The Panalux Craft Award - Sarah Greenwood

The BBC News and Factual Award - Tulip Mazumdar

The Film Finances Project Management Award - Betty Williams

The NEP Visions Presenter Award - Mishal Husein

The Deluxe Digital Cinema Director Award - Amma Asante

The Creative Skillset Writing Award - Sharon Horgan

The Technicolor Creative Technology Award - Gillian Dodders