Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em star's mum was not impressed by famous stunt

Watched by 15 million viewers, it is still considered a comedy classic. But Michele's mother reacted with fury when she saw the risky stunt.

"I was 24 at the time, and when my mother watched that cliff-top scene, she actually slapped me," says Michele. "She said, 'What on earth did you do that for? Don't ever do anything like that again'."

Michele, now 74, co-starred as Betty in all 22 episodes of the show between 1973 and 1978 and in a Comic Relief special in 2016. She now marvels at the lack of health and safety: "I don't know how we got away with it, quite frankly. You certainly wouldn't now, that's for sure.

"That scene hanging over the cliff was astonishing because I had a fear of heights.

"I said to the stunt co-ordinator, 'What safety measures will there be?' He replied, 'It'll be absolutely fine because we've got this thing that goes around your ankle.'

"It was basically a thread of cotton wrapped around my ankle." She continues: "Then the stunt co-ordinator said, 'Don't worry, we'll definitely be holding it at the other end'. But I still wasn't quite sure what would happen if the car dropped off the edge of the cliff. You just couldn't do those things now."

Michele admits that the show's enduring success has taken her aback.

"When the show was first a hit it was totally unexpected. It just suddenly took off. It was a phenomenon.

"And it is wonderful to think it's still seen with affection and being introduced to new audiences 50 years later. For a little half-hour comedy show, it's remarkable.

"It's probably because of its innocence.

Back in the day when it was going out, you sat down as a family with granny and knew you weren't going to be offended. It wasn't violent. It was just silly, it was just fun."

The actress, who was married to the late actor Edward Woodward and has a daughter named Emily, continues: "Michael created an extraordinary character with Frank Spencer. I think in part it worked because neither of us are comics.We're both actors.

"We were playing it straight.We weren't playing it for laughs."

And viewers adored the relationship between Frank and Betty, memorialised in the catchphrases of countless 1970s impressionists who would don Frank's trademark beret and raincoat and parrot the line, "Oooh, Betty, the cat's done a whoopsie."

"You had to believe that she loved the guy. Otherwise, what was the point? He was such a loser. But she loved the guy, and she put up with him. The fact that they did love each other was key."

Half a century later Michele and Michael remain close. He was a tremendous support when her husband died in 2009, an event that hit her very hard.

She says: "Michael has been a true friend, particularly after I lost Edward.

"He really cares. In 2014, he came over from New Zealand to read in church at my daughter's wedding.

"He phones me once a fortnight and jokes, 'Now, I'm very worried about your spending money. I'm getting messages from Edward - he is concerned!'

"It's always a joy being in his company. I count him as one of my dearest friends."

Now Michele is playing Queen Victoria in The Royal Mob, an absorbing new docu-drama showing on Sky History.

The Royal Mob was the phrase Queen Victoria used to sum up her family - nine children, 42 grandchildren and 87 greatgrandchildren.

Queen Victoria was a very hands-on leader as well.

"She liked control for sure," says Michele. "She bore nine children, but she didn't like being pregnant because it took her away from the affairs of state.

"In a very male-dominated society she was a powerhouse."

• Royal Mob Sky History, 9pm, tomorrow