In her later years she lived in the eccentric Honeypot Cottage (made of circular rooms) on the banks of the Thames in Berkshire, with her collection of stray cats.
She was awarded a Lifetime British Comedy award in 1991
She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of British Empire) in 1986 for her services to drama Queen Elizabeth II for services to entertainment.
She was dyslexic and always found it hard to learn scripts
Won Broadway's 1967 Tony Award as Best Actress (Dramatic) for "The Killing of Sister George," a role she recreated in the film version of the same name, The Killing of Sister George (1968).