The first meal my husband ever made me was a chicken curry. I have never tasted anything so delicious in my life.

People have preconceptions about women of a certain age.

Coming eyeball to eyeball with a hummingbird on my terrace is as exciting to me as any celebrity Ive met as a result of Downton Abbey.

I can do basics, but I'm not a proper cook. I can do a roast. I can stick a chicken in the oven with vegetables.

I get invited to a lot more glamorous parties since Ive been in Downton Abbey, which has made me much more fashion conscious.

I did an O-level in domestic science when I was at school, but on the day of the practical exam, it was a cookery nightmare.

Ive been to the White House and had Hilary Clinton push through the crowd to come and meet me. Chelsea Clinton, too.

I believe anything can happen.

I always admire people who have passion.

As an actor, you never know where the works going to come, so you have to be flexible about it.

Ive not cooked Christmas dinner since 1982.

The things I do are known to the world, but why I do them is my secret alone.

Can I really take God at his word?

Kids, help your parents if they don't know how to use a smartphone.

One of the most important things is to remind yourself of where you are from and be thankful. I don't for a second take anything for granted. That's a good way to start your day.

I would never take any of my cards off the table.

i want to look at all my tears, she said. which made me shiver

I had a lot of enthusiasms that were very contradictory, I was never very doctrinaire in the type of design I wanted to do.

There is no conversation more boring than the one where everybody agrees.

I'm sorry to say I'm very lizard-like. My skin is dry, so covering my face in greasy antioxidants is a better alternative.

The interval between a cold expectation and a warm desire may be filled by expectations of varying degrees of warmth or by desires of varying degrees of coldness.