Lesley Joseph, the star of , has admitted she doesn't know how much longer her career will continue.

The 79-year-old actress, who rose to fame as Dorien Green in the BBC sitcom alongside Linda Robson and Pauline Quirke, has had a varied career since the 1970s.

Her portrayal of Dorien, known for her bold fashion and sharp wit, made her an unforgettable icon on British television. The sitcom ended in 1998, was revived by ITV in 2014, but was eventually cancelled in 2021.

Joseph confessed that the show's conclusion came as a relief, stating she "wouldn't have wanted to see Dorien with a zimmer frame"

She also dismissed any possibility of reprising her role in the future, saying she has "laid her to rest now". With Birds of a Feather now behind her, Lesley opened up about her future in the industry during an interview with Woman's Own.

She said: "At my age, I don't know how much longer I have left in the business." Despite this, she remains ambitious and credits her versatility as the key to her six-decade-long career.

She added: "I'm still ambitious, but I know my time is limited." However, she believes there's been a recent "renaissance" of older women on screen.

Turning 80 later this year, Lesley maintains a zest for life, something she attributes to her mother.

Lesley revealed that her mother passed away just shy of 104, only giving up some of her more active hobbies in her ninth decade. Her mum continued dancing until she was 96 and stopped playing badminton at the age of 90.

To maintain her own fitness, Lesley "walks everywhere" and practises yoga in her leisure time. She ensures she "sleeps as much as she can" and takes vitamins, believing that both physical and mental exercise is crucial.

Lesley is eager to stay fit because she believes she has "a lot more to offer" and there are roles she would like to take on before she retires. However, she admits she can become "frustrated" when labelled as a "sitcom queen".

Her Birds of a Feather co-star Linda recently disclosed that there are no plans to revive the show. This follows the announcement by Pauline Quirke's husband Steve Sheen that she was stepping back from public life after being diagnosed with dementia.

When questioned by Jane Moore on Loose Women: The Podcast about the return of the show, Linda said: "No, it's not going to come back. Because of Pauline, she's not going to work again now."

Linda went on to say that 65-year-old Pauline, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2021, has "down days" but has been "quite up" recently. She explained that Pauline's son Charlie Quirke keeps her updated on his mum's condition.

Linda added: "Charlie rang me and just said she is doing really, really well at the moment. Sometimes she has down days but at the moment she is quite up about everything.

"He said they got really, really excited when she said, 'Here, where's my mate Linda Robson?' So I got quite emotional when he told me that as well."