‘Naughtiest man I ever worked with’: Judi Dench dobs in star

Awards season is in full swing in the entertainment world and last night was a chance for some of the best Baby Boomers in the business to be celebrated. Dame Judi Dench lead an array of veteran British TV and film stars at the 2018 Oldie of the Year awards.

Taking to the stage at the event to present the Palmer d’Or Oldie of the Year prize to As Times Goes By star Geoffrey Palmer,  Judi revealed he was in fact the cheekiest co-star she ever had.

The pair starred together in As Time Goes By from 1992-2005 and Judi described the 90-year-old icon as eternally “naughty”. “I wish, wish, wish that this was the awards for ‘most promising newcomer’ or maybe even ‘the naughtiest man I ever had the pleasure to work with’, but it’s not. It’s the Oldie awards,” The Independent reports the actress telling the crowd.

Judi and Geoffrey earned accolades around the world for their turn as Jean Mary Hardcastle and Lionel Hardcastle in the British sitcom, with reruns of the show still playing in countries around the world. The show follows the story of Jean and Lionel, a former couple who randomly meet again after spending 38 years apart, and rekindle their love. 

For the outing, the Philomena actress looked her absolute best, opting for a stunning black paint suit with an incredibly intricate embroidered shawl to match, while Geoffrey opted for a simple suit with a colourful tie.  They weren’t the only legendary stars in attendance at the ceremony.

Peter Bowles, now 81, looked as smart as ever in an impressive suit and tie combo. In addition to working alongside Judi in the West End, he also fronted a string of successful shows and films including To the Manor Born, The Bank Job, The Irish R.M and classic hit, The Avengers.

Perhaps the highlight of the event was when Dame Vera Lynn was awarded the top prize at the annual event. Now 100, Vera wasn’t able to attend the ceremony in person, although her daughter, Virginia Lewis-Jones, happily accepted the award on her behalf. The awards show, now in its 25th year, acknowledged Vera’s incredible contributions to the music industry.

In addition to her large collection of albums, Vera is credited for spending time in Burma during World War II, entertaining the troops. She marked her 100th birthday by treating fans to an album containing some of her biggest hits including ‘You’ll Never Know’, ‘Wish Me Luck’ and ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’.

What do you think? Do more older people need to be recognised for their contributions? Should there be more award shows for over-60s?

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