She was awarded the 1985 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Comedy Performance (1984 season) in "See How They Run".
Her show "Live and Kidding", performed at the Duchess Theatre, was nominated for the 1998 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Entertainment of the 1997 season.
She was nominated for the 2004 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical of 2003 for her performance in "Thoroughly Modern Millie", performed at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1999 Queen's New Years Honours List for her services to comedy drama.
She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to charity, entertainment and the arts. She is an actress in London, England.
She trained at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), the United Kingdom's oldest drama school.
She began acting in the stage production of "The Knack ...and How to Get It" at the Watford Palace Theatre in Hertfordshire, England.
Won the Variety Club of Great Britain Award for Best Stage Actress in "Wonderful Town".