Joanna Lumley has a fabulous way to look young - and it is far from conventional

The Absolutely Fabulous star does not use the gym when it comes to staying in shape

Joanna Lumley says she has an unlikely factor to thank for looking youthful - "vigorous hoovering".

The Absolutely Fabulous star, 78, was known for playing Patsy Stone who preferred partying to pilates. And Joanna says she doesn't see herself as beautiful and instead of going to the gym she chooses to do chores and housework putting in a lot of energy and effort so it is like a workout. She said: "Oh, I'm not beautiful. I can look beautiful. I can put beauty on. But when I'm tired, I look bloody awful. I look after myself. I don't go to the gym but I do stuff with vigour, such as housework, gardening and going up the stairs two at a time. I'm a vegetarian and have been for years which helps, but I don't gorge myself. If I ate every cake and bun I wanted, I'd have to be dragged about in a cart. People often talk about outer beauty, but the truth is that being truly beautiful comes from having a good heart and a kind spirit."

In an interview with My Weekly , Joanna also insisted she has 'no vanity' and doesn't care what she looks like, with a modest beauty routine and a reluctance to use a stylist.

She added: "I don't care if I'm fat or thin, I don't care what people think of me. When I was younger, I had insecurities about how I looked, but they didn't last. I realised that vanity is a waste of time and energy. I don't do anything special. I use Astral cream on my face. I've always done my own hair.

"It's partly because I kind of can do it. I was a model in the Sixties - we had to do our own hair then, we had to sort it, do it, put on wigs, cut it, change it, dye it... so I got used to it. I just go down to the supermarket and buy stuff off the shelves and stick it on."

Joanna was speaking to promote her role in the Netflix supernatural comedy drama Wednesday - a spin off to Addams Family films - where she plays Grandmama Addams.

She also insisted even at 78 she has no plans to slow down or retire, unless TV and film bosses want her to.

Joanna said: "When you're acting, acting will retire you. When you haven't been asked to do anything for five years, you can assume you are retired, but I'm still working away. I am a big believer in the idea that you either use it or lose it, so I really just try to keep going, I have been very lucky to still keep working."

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