Joanna Lumley: 'Terrified all men are seen as bad'

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Lumley said 'it felt right to wear black... in support of MeToo'

Joanna Lumley says she is "terrified that all men are seen as bad" in the wake of the Hollywood sex scandal.

The actress told Good Housekeeping magazine: "This year I do feel the spirit of the suffragettes is with us and we're speaking out about women being treated badly around the world.

"That said, I am terrified that all men are seen as bad."

The Ab Fab actress added: "We mustn't deride all men, as only the few are bad and we need to remember that, too."

Image caption, Lumley (right) has enjoyed a long working relationship with Jennifer Saunders

Lumley, 71, hosted the Bafta Film Awards earlier this year, which was dominated by the Time's Up and #MeToo movements.

She said: "I love and respect men. I am married to one, I work with some wonderful men and I have a son.

But she added: "Even though they [the stars] were dressed in black, they looked wonderful.

"It felt right to wear black at the time in support of MeToo. Anything that empowers women is to be supported."

Lumley, who was awarded the Bafta Fellowship last year, is best known for playing champagne-quaffing Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous.

She is also a well-known activist and charity campaigner.

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Lumley is going on a UK tour in the autumn

She helped to secure the rights of Gurkhas who retired prior to 1997, to settle in the UK. She is also a patron of charities such as Trust in Children and Tree Aid, which fights poverty in Africa.

Lumley told the magazine her mother was a "very good role model" for her campaigning work.

"She couldn't bear bullying and had an enormous sense of social justice. 'Do as you would be done by' was always her mantra...'Be reliable, don't be a thief or a snitch or a husband stealer', all those lessons were instilled into me as a child and to stand up to any form of wrongdoing and bullying."

The actress is embarking on her It's All About Me tour later this year, where she will be joined on stage by her friend and producer Clive Tulloh, who will put questions from the audience to her.

"Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger, so I want to do this before I lose my marbles and while I can still remember all the different parts of my life!"

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