Amanda Redman has claimed that turning down sexual advances from TV directors "hurt" her career.
Amanda Redman
The 60-year-old actress has alleged that she was sexually harassed by executives in both theatre and television roles during the 80s and early 90s, which she claims has "damaged [her] confidence" and hindered her career, as directors wouldn't give her roles after she turned down their advances.
She said: "I don't think there's any woman of my age who didn't get sexually harassed at work. It was so the norm in the eighties and early nineties in British theatre and TV.
"If you didn't give out to a director, you got bullied on set and humiliated constantly.
"That really damages your confidence as a performer and it isn't pleasant. Without a shadow of a doubt, it hurt my career."
Amanda - who previously starred in 'New Tricks' and can now be seen in 'The Good Karma Hospital' - also accused British television of overlooking older actresses when it comes to "meaty roles".
Speaking to Women magazine, the former 'At Home with the Braithwaites' star said: "The Americans and Europeans embrace middle-aged women more than we do. People like Michelle Pfeiffer, Meryl Streep and Edie Falco from 'The Sopranos' - they keep working in meaty roles."
It comes after the star previously slammed the British television industry for being sexist, and claimed it was "just luck" that she had managed to keep a job in the industry past the age of 50.
Asked about the scarcity of good roles for women her age, Amanda replied: "It's basically just luck.
"Misogyny was rife when I started out. You'd moan about it with your friends, but you just got on with it.
"Still now, if you tot up the number of roles for women and the number of roles for men, the discrepancy is ridiculous.
"Things are changing, but not fast enough. You only have to look at British television. We are worse than the States."
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