Alison Steadman hates watching herself on television.

Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman

The 'Gavin & Stacey' actress - who played mum Pamela Shipman in the hit BBC sitcom from 2007 to 2010 before returning for the Christmas special last year - admitted she broke her habit by watching the show's big comeback, despite usually avoiding catching herself on the small screen.

She told Woman's Weekly magazine: "I watched it several times, which I don't normally do.

"Anything I'm in, I don't watch because I think I look old and fat. But with that, I loved it so much that I had to watch it again."

However, the 73-year-old actress said she still doesn't "feel any pressure" to look a certain way at this stage in her career.

She added: "I look the way I want, I don't feel any pressure, not at all.

"Maybe there is for the younger actresses, if you were in your 20s and you had to be a skinny Jane, or something.

"But for me, it's great - I can just do what I Want."

Last year, Alison opened up about ageing and revealed she finds it "boring and self-defeating" when people complain about getting older.

She argued: "There's one thing I can't bear - people moaning about getting old.

"Ageing is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience.

"Going on about what you can't do anymore is boring and self-defeating. Why not focus on what you can do, for God's sake?"

Meanwhile, Alison has suggested fans shouldn't necessarily get their hopes up for more 'Gavin & Stacey' despite the cliffhanger ending in the festive instalment which saw Ness (Ruth Jones) propose to Smithy (James Corden).

She said: "Honestly, I've no idea. I would doubt it because James is in America he's such a big star now, and Ruth is so busy writing novels."


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