Daily Mail
· collected 2026-09-08 · by Rebecca Davison, Joanna Crawley
Miriam Margolyes, an 85-year-old actress, has sparked controversy by calling her £60,000 wage for playing Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter series "rubbish". This comes after she faced backlash for using an offensive term to describe ITV presenter Andi Peters' skin color on a recent TV appearance. According to Margolyes, she is unhappy that people primarily associate her with the Harry Potter franchise, despite appearing in only two of the eight movies. Her comments have reignited criticism and outrage, particularly given her recent racism row with Andi Peters.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
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Miriam Margolyes has ignited fresh fury as she branded the £60k wage she received for her Harry Potter role 'rubbish.'
Her latest words come just days after she became embroiled in an Andi Peters racism row.
Miriam, 85, played witch Professor Sprout in the iconic movie series and her character actually only appeared in two of the eight movies, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part Two.
asserted
character → see → Secrets
Speaking during a live panel show earlier this week, the actress said she doesn't like that due to the popularity of the film franchise, that seems to be what she is best known for.
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she → speak → franchise
Miriam said: 'I’m not thrilled that everybody thinks of me as Professor Sprout.
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everybody → say → Sprout
Because I have done other, better things.
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I → do → things
Want to know how much I got?
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I → want → much
Yeah thought you would!
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you → think → ?
£60K – it’s f***ing rubbish!
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it → ’ → ?
Miriam Margolyes has ignited fresh fury as she branded her £60,000 Harry Potter wage 'rubbish' - days after her Andi Peters racism row, (pictured as Professor Sprout)
Miriam said: 'I’m not thrilled that everybody thinks of me as Professor Sprout.
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everybody → ignite → Sprout
Because I have done other, better things.
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I → do → things
'Want to know how much I got?..
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I → want → much
£60k – it’s f***ing rubbish!'
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it → ’ → ?
'I don’t mind that everybody else got more, I don’t mind … it’s just the way the business works.
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business → mind → more
It’s like that,' The Sun reported.
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Sun → ’ → that
On Sunday, outspoken Miriam, who is promoting her new book, Full English, addressed the backlash to her 'racism row' with Andi Peters on ITV's This Morning.
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who → promote → Morning
She had used an offensive term to describe ITV presenter Andi's skin colour during an appearance on This Morning on Thursday.
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She → use → Thursday
ITV bosses were forced to intervene after she referred to Andi as 'high yalla'.
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she → force → yalla
The clip, which was removed from the ITVX recording of the show, has since gone viral, with many viewers taking to Twitter to express their outrage over Miriam's comments.
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viewers → remove → comments
Miriam was asked about the incident during an audience event to promote her new memoir at Cliffs Pavilion in Southend.
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Miriam → ask → Southend
In videos shared by audience members on social media, she insisted: 'I didn't want to embarrass or hurt Andi because he seems very nice.
'
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he → share → Andi
I'd never met him before; I didn't know who he was and I didn't know he was black until I saw him.
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I → meet → him
When you see someone, of course you know they're black.
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they → see → course
I wanted to know what he thought about it because that's what interests me.'
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what → want → me
On Sunday, Miriam addressed the backlash to her 'racism row' with Andi Peters on ITV's This Morning
The outspoken actress, 85, used an offensive term to describe ITV presenter Andi's skin colour during an appearance on This Morning on Thursday
Miriam then used an offensive term for disabled people as she continued: 'How do black people feel?
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people → address → people
How do brown people feel?
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people → feel → ?
How do cripples feel?
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cripples → feel → ?
How do fat people feel?
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people → feel → ?
'You see what I mean?
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I → see → what
All of us feel something about who we are and how people see us, what they think of us.'
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they → feel → us
The host interjected to clarify that 'in other words you wanted to discuss his identity with him', to which the actress was in full agreement.
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actress → interject → agreement
'I am fascinated by other people,' she continued.
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she → fascinate → people
'They are the people that interest me, not the celebrities so much.
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that → interest → me
What their story is, what made them who they are, why you are the way you are.
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you → make → ?
Miriam appeared on This Morning to promote her book last week, but ITV bosses were forced to intervene after she referred to Andi as 'high yalla'.
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she → appear → yalla
The term, which can also be spelled 'high yaller' or 'high yellow' is an outdated and offensive slang term used in the US to describe a black person with a light complexion.
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which → spell → complexion
Miriam added that she 'welcomes everybody' and her book is about inclusion, but viewers on X accused her of being racist after the uncomfortable conversation.
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viewers → add → conversation
After first impersonating presenter Christine Lampard's Northern Irish accent, Miriam turned to Andi and asked: 'But what accent would be normal for you?'
'This is normal.
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This → impersonate → you
This is what I am,' replied Andi, as Miriam continued: 'Oh, you're a mix, aren't you?
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you → reply → ?
You've got a black daddy and a white mummy.
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You → get → daddy
Both my parents are black,' confirmed Andi, before he joked: 'What have they put on me, am I a lighter shade than normal?'
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I → confirm → me
Miriam continued: 'Both parents are...
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parents → continue → ?
…and 22 more, not listed.
