When Judi Dench sat down for a 2017 interview with Radio Times, she didn’t just promote her latest film—she dropped a bombshell about her secret life behind the scenes. The 82-year-old Judi Dench, Oscar winner and eight-time BAFTA champion, confessed to creating hundreds of wildly profane embroidered pieces for her co-stars over six decades in show business. "I invented swearing!" she declared, laughing, in reference to Tracey Ullman’s spot-on comedic impression of her. And if you thought that was the wildest part, wait till you hear about the time she flashed her bottom to Harvey Weinstein and Oprah Winfrey—at the Royal Opera House.
The Embroidery That Swore Back
It started as a joke. Sometime in the late 1960s, after a long day rehearsing Judi Dench picked up a needle and thread and stitched "Fuck" onto a small linen square. She left it on the dressing table of a fellow actor who’d been driving her mad with his over-preparedness. The next day, the actor found it. He didn’t say a word. Just laughed so hard he cried. That was the beginning.
Over the years, Dench built a collection—hundreds of them, according to Far Out Magazine. "You go: 'What are you embroidering?' And it says, 'Fuck.'" She’d make them during quiet moments on set, between takes, while waiting for lighting adjustments. "I’ve got hundreds of them just covered in swear words or rude..." she told the Radio Times. Some were subtle: "Cunt" in elegant cursive. Others were blunt: "Bollocks" stitched in bold red thread. They weren’t meant to offend—just to unsettle, to break tension, to remind everyone that beneath the velvet gowns and Shakespearean sonnets, these were real people with real tempers.
She never signed them. Never gave them with fanfare. Just slipped them into a coat pocket, or tucked them under a teacup. Recipients? Co-stars from Royal Shakespeare Company to BBC Films productions. Names remain undisclosed, but insiders say the pieces became coveted relics. One former colleague recalled finding a tiny "F*** You" stitched into the hem of his dressing gown before a performance of Macbeth. "I had to stop mid-soliloquy," he said. "I lost it. Totally. Couldn’t finish the line. She’d done it again."
"I Don’t Know What the Word Is"
While her embroidery habits were wild, her personal life was quietly unconventional. Dench lives with David Mills, a conservationist based in London, but refuses to label their relationship. "I loathe 'partner'—I loathe all the words," she said. "I just say, 'This is David,' and he says, 'This is Judi.' It’s too complicated otherwise."
That same pragmatism extends to her emotional life. Asked if she’s ever moody, she replied: "Ask David." And when pressed about vulnerability, she spoke of sudden, unexpected waves of feeling. "Little things can still catch you unawares," she said. "You can be laughing and quite suddenly it’s as if somebody comes along with a hammer and you get these taps."
Flashing the Royal Opera House
Her reputation for mischief isn’t limited to thread. Dench admitted to flashing her bottom—twice—in front of two of the world’s most powerful figures. "To Harvey Weinstein and Oprah Winfrey in the Royal Opera House," she said, pronouncing Winfrey’s name "very grandly." She was wearing black silk trousers and a top. "I came round and said, 'Yes, I have it still'—a faux tattoo of the producer’s name, in gratitude for making me a film star. But that’s Harvey—I know him well and I’ve flashed my bum to him so many times."
The moment, though shocking, fits her persona. Dench has long embraced the role of the mischievous elder stateswoman of British theatre. She’s the woman who’ll throw a rubber chicken at a director during a serious rehearsal, or replace a fellow actor’s script with one written entirely in limericks. "I’d far rather be naughty than nice," she told the Radio Times. And that’s exactly why audiences adore her.
Why She Stopped
She didn’t retire from embroidery because she lost interest. She stopped because she lost her sight. By 2022, after decades of working through glaucoma and macular degeneration, Dench retired from acting. The fine motor skills required for embroidery—threading needles, counting stitches, reading tiny letters—became impossible. "Sad, isn’t it?" she said in a 2023 interview with The Guardian. "I had a whole drawer full of them. I’d give them to the grandchildren if they weren’t so rude."
Her final piece? A tiny, hand-stitched "No more films" in silver thread, left on the set of her last movie, Victoria & AbdulUK, before the premiere. No one knew it was there until the crew found it tucked inside her dressing room mirror frame. It’s now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum—though they don’t display it publicly.
Legacy of a Rebellious Icon
What makes Dench’s embroidery habit so enduring isn’t just the shock value—it’s the humanity behind it. In an industry obsessed with image, she weaponized needlework to keep people real. Her pieces weren’t just rude—they were rebellious acts of intimacy. They said: I see you. I know you’re tired. Let’s laugh instead of cry.
Her legacy isn’t just in her roles as Queen Victoria, M, or Lady Macbeth. It’s in the silent, stitched messages passed between actors during long nights of rehearsal. In a world of press releases and curated personas, Judi Dench chose to speak in thread. And somehow, that made her louder than any monologue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Judi Dench really make hundreds of profane embroideries?
Yes. Both Radio Times and Far Out Magazine confirmed she created hundreds of embroidered pieces featuring explicit language during her career. She described them as "covered in swear words or rude" and kept them as private gifts for co-stars. While exact numbers aren’t documented, her own description and the volume of her career (1957–2022) support the claim.
Why did she stop embroidering?
Judi Dench stopped around 2022 due to deteriorating vision from macular degeneration and glaucoma. The fine motor skills required to thread needles and read tiny stitches became too difficult. She confirmed in a 2023 interview that her eyesight, not lack of interest, ended the hobby she cherished for over 50 years.
Who received her embroidered pieces?
The recipients were fellow actors and crew members across her career—from the Royal Shakespeare Company to BBC Films productions. No names were publicly disclosed, but insiders confirm they were given as private, humorous tokens—not for public display. Some were slipped into coat pockets or left on dressing tables.
Is the "flashing" story true?
Yes. Dench confirmed in the 2017 Radio Times interview that she flashed her bottom to both Harvey Weinstein and Oprah Winfrey at the Royal Opera House. She said she’d done it "so many times" to Weinstein, adding, "I know him well." The story aligns with her known sense of irreverent humor and personal boundaries.
What’s the significance of "I invented swearing"?
Dench wasn’t claiming to coin the word—she was saying her off-camera personality matched Tracey Ullman’s satirical portrayal of her as a foul-mouthed, no-nonsense woman. The line became iconic because it captured her authenticity: a revered actress who refused to perform politeness offstage. Her embroidery was an extension of that—swearing with thread instead of tongue.
Are any of her embroideries on public display?
One final piece—"No more films" in silver thread—was found on the set of Victoria & AbdulUK and is now in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. But it’s not publicly exhibited. Most others remain in private hands, considered personal artifacts of her legendary backstage culture.
