Judi Dench regrets not having six children and ‘hopes’ she will live to 100

Dame Judi Dench has said one of her biggest regrets in life is not having six children but added that she “hopes” to live to 100.

The 89-year-old actress, who played M in the James Bond film series, said in an interview that she had planned to have a large family with her husband, actor Michael Williams, before his death from lung cancer in 2001.

She told the Sunday Times: “Michael and I said, ‘we’re going to have six children’.

“We had one, beautiful Finty (Williams, 52, who is also an actor), and we didn’t have the other five, it just didn’t happen. I worked a lot. I suppose you don’t stop to consider really.”

Dame Judi, who turns 90 next week, said she could not pick a favourite moment from her nearly 70-year career, adding she was “lucky to be able to say that”.

Asked what the next decade looks like for her, she continued: “Am I going to be 100? Well, I hope so. That would be nice. I’ll try and make 100.”

Speaking about her upcoming birthday, the York-born actress added: “You get a bit nervous when everybody says 90. I don’t want to think of 90 much, I’m going to think about (turning) 29.

“I think you’re lucky to be 90, my two great, great friends, Barbara Leigh-Hunt and (Dame) Maggie Smith, have just dropped off the bough in the last four weeks or so and that’s not good.

“I’m able to at least get from a to b and walk about and, golly, I’ve got a great deal to be grateful for.”

She told the newspaper she had more projects in the pipeline despite deteriorating eyesight and hearing.

The actress said she is “hopeless at my own company” and added that she spends a large amount of her time chatting to her partner, conservationist David Mills, 81, and parrot Sweetie, who she said has some choice words for her.

Dame Judi said: “We had a long chat just now. You shouldn’t ask what she says.

“She says ‘you’re a slut’, ‘you’re a slag’, she has said ‘Boris Johnson’ but she didn’t get that from me.

“She listens to the radio. My God, she’s funny though. She’s very, very funny. Everybody should have a parrot, or a myna bird. Their voices are absolutely incredible.”

Dame Judi revealed that her daughter and grandson Sam, 27, were planning a surprise for her birthday, and also said 007 producer Barbara Broccoli was taking her for lunch at The Ivy.

The actor is known for roles including Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare In Love (1998), the title character in Philomena (2003), and Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown (1997).