9 Facts About Dame Judi Dench

1. On 19 March 2012, it was announced that Dame Judi Dench was to become honorary patron of the charity Everton in the Community, the official charity of Everton FC.

2. On 22 July 2010, Dame Judi Dench was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by Nottingham Trent University.

3. In March 2013, Dame Judi Dench was listed as one of the fifty best-dressed over 50s by The Guardian.

4. In 2016, Dame Judi Dench made Olivier Award history when she won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in The Winter's Tale, breaking her own record with her eighth win as a performer.

5. In 2013, Dame Judi Dench starred as the title character in the Stephen Frears directed film, Philomena, a film inspired by true events of a woman looking for the son which the Catholic Church took from her a half-century before.

6. In July 2010, Dame Judi Dench performed "Send in the Clowns" at a special celebratory promenade concert from the Royal Albert Hall as part of the proms season, in honour of composer Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday.

7. On her Oscar win, Dame Judi Dench joked on-stage, "I feel for eight minutes on the screen, I should only get a little bit of him.

8. In 1981, Dame Judi Dench was due to play Grizabella in the original production of Cats, but was forced to pull out due to a torn Achilles tendon, leaving Elaine Paige to play the role.

9. In 1964, Dame Judi Dench appeared on television as Valentine Wannop in Theatre 625's adaptation of Parade's End, shown in three episodes.