Dame Judi Dench, the 91-year-old Oscar-winning actress, has admitted to a childhood prank involving a dead rat and a neighbour's letterbox. In an interview with the BBC's This Natural Life podcast, the veteran star recounted how she once delivered a dead rodent to a neighbour on behalf of her brothers, who had lost cricket balls in the woman's garden.
The Confession on This Natural Life
Speaking to host Martha Kearney, Dame Judi described the incident as 'a terrible story.' She explained that her brothers, Jeffrey and Peter, frequently hit cricket balls into the garden of a woman named Miss Lazenby, who refused to return them. 'The boys used to play cricket in the garden, and they used to be always batting the balls over into the other gardens, and there was a lady called Miss Lazenby, and she never ever would throw the ball back, or give us the balls back,' the actress said.
The Prank Unfolds
According to Dame Judi, her brothers found a dead rat in a barn and wrapped it up. They then asked her to deliver it to Miss Lazenby's door. 'Once the boys found a dead rat in the barn, and they parcelled it up, and they said to me, “Judi, will you just go round and put this through Miss Lazenby’s door?” So I did go and squeeze it through Miss Lazenby’s door,' she recalled. A note was tied to the rat, reading: 'Please give us our balls back.' When asked if the prank succeeded, Dame Judi replied: 'Probably not.' She added that the boys were subsequently banned from playing cricket.
Dame Judi's Illustrious Career
Dame Judi Dench is one of Britain's most celebrated actresses, with a career spanning stage and screen. She won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love. Her other Oscar-nominated performances include roles in Mrs Brown, Chocolat, Iris, Mrs. Henderson Presents, Notes on a Scandal, Philomena, and Belfast. She has also earned a Tony Award, two Golden Globe Awards, four BAFTA Television Awards, six BAFTA Film Awards, and seven Olivier Awards.
Health and Retirement
In 2024, Dame Judi hinted at retirement due to poor health, specifically age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which causes gradual vision loss. At the Chelsea Flower Show, she said: 'No, no, I can’t even see!' Despite this, she remains a beloved figure in British culture.
Family Background
Dame Judi grew up in York with her brothers Jeffrey and Peter. Jeffrey Dench was a noted theatre actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company before his death in 2014. Peter Dench worked as a GP in York until his death in 2017. Dame Judi credited Jeffrey for inspiring her acting career, telling The Times in 2014: 'I’d never have thought of being an actress if it wasn’t for Jeff.' She also noted that her family did not own a television until the Queen's Coronation in 1953.
