Judi Dench ‘chokes up’ on stage after being asked about death of her close friend Maggie Smith at book festival

DAME Judi Dench teared up on stage when asked about her close friend Maggie Smith.

The actress became visibly emotional at the Cheltenham Literature Festival while paying tribute to the late Maggie Smith and Barbara Leigh-Hunt.

Interviewer Brendan O’Hea asked her about the fellow acting legends, who have both sadly died in the last month. 

He said to Judi “the last week has been tricky for you” and encouraged her to explain was she meant when she previously compared grief to petrol.

“I suppose the energy that’s created by grief,” replied the actress, as she began to tear up.

The actress originally made the reference after her husband Michael William died in 2001 from lung cancer.

Judi told the audience she lovingly plants trees in her garden in memory of loved ones who have passed away.

Maggie had been friends with Judi since the 1950s after they met at the Old Vic theatre in London.

She said in 2002: “What I remember mostly about that time, it was the beginning of a friendship, and I remember laughter more than anything in the world.

“Judi’s the most tremendous friend. She’s been a huge support and hugely loyal.”

They performed alongside each other in the 1985 film A Room with a View, the 2004 drama Ladies in Lavender and the 2011 comedy The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

The writer of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Ol Parker, once said: “Maggie and Judi would swim in their Victorian swimsuits. And every day we would all laugh and laugh and laugh.”

Meanwhile, late actress Barbara Leigh-Hunt was godmother to Judi’s daughter.

The pair appeared together in the 1992 BBC sitcom As Time Goes By.

It comes after Maggie passed away aged 89 on September 27, after an incredible 70-year career on stage and screen.

Her sons Chris Larkin and Toby Stephens confirmed she died in hospital surrounded by family.

In a statement issued via their publicist, they said: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.

“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September.

“An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.

“We thank you for all your kind messages and support and ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

Harry Potter stars Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, all paid tribute to the film icon after the news broke.

Franchise author JK Rowling also remembered the 89-year-old actress.

“Somehow I thought she’d live forever. RIP Dame Maggie Smith,” she wrote on X.

Downton Abbey stars have also paid their tributes to Dame Maggie Smith.

Maggie was also well-known for bringing her scathing wit to other roles, including as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey.

Hugh Bonneville, who starred in the show with Maggie, said: “Anyone who ever shared a scene with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit and formidable talent.

“She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances. My condolences to her boys and wider family.”

The touching last picture of Maggie shows her smiling into the camera while starring in a fashion campaign.

The Downton Abbey actress was wearing a giant fuzzy coat with Loewe’s “signature Puzzle bag”.

Maggie had previously opened up about her health battles, including treatment for Graves’ disease in 1988.

In a newspaper interview, she described her experience of Graves disease and thyroid eye disease as a “fog of despair”.

In 2007, it emerged Maggie had been diagnosed with breast cancer but she went on to make a full recovery.

The actress was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1990 and was named a Companion of Honour (CH) in 2014.

Speaking about her glittering career previously, Maggie said: “Honest to God, I have no idea where the urge [to act] came from. It was such a ghastly time and we didn’t go to the theatre.

“I got into terrible trouble once because the neighbours took me to the cinema on a Sunday, but I had a wonderful teacher, Dorothy Bartholomew, who also taught Miriam Margolyes, and who encouraged me.”