Dame Judi Dench reveals her rescue African grey parrot calls her 'slut' and 'slag'

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the 89-year-old actress said her rescue African grey parrot, Sweetie has picked up some surprising phases from the radio.

She 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."

Judi, who will celebrate her 90th birthday later this month, admitted she isn’t dwelling on the milestone. She said: "It's just that 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."

The James Bond actress also reflected on the recent loss of her close friends, Dame Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt. She said: "I think you're lucky to be 90. My two great, great friends Barbara Leigh-Hunt and Maggie Smith have just dropped off the bough in the last four weeks or so, and that's not good."

Despite her age, Judi is grateful for her mobility and health, though she acknowledges challenges like age-related macular degeneration and hearing loss.

She said: "It's disconcerting when you've had quite good hearing all your life. If your eyes give up and your ears give up, I dread to think what's going to happen next."