‘I’m not a sex symbol!’

With a successful career spanning more than 40 years, you might expect Dame Helen Mirren to be a bit of a diva. After all, she’s a woman who’s won an Oscar, a BAFTA and a Golden Globe, among her many accolades, but in person she’s warm, friendly and down to earth. However, there’s no denying Helen, 74, commands attention when she speaks. When discussing her role as Russian empress Catherine the Great, she’s not afraid to set us straight about the fascinating royal when we suggest Catherine was distracted by men. “No,” Helen interrupts. “That’s wrong. She doesn’t allow her head to be turned. She has relationships, she uses sex for pleasure, but her head is never turned.” Helen admits she did extensive research