Judi Dench reveals childhood prank: dead rat through neighbour's letterbox
Synopsis
Judi Dench — Oscar winner, Bond's M, two-time screen queen — has admitted to squeezing a dead rat through a neighbour's letterbox as a child in York, following orders from her brothers. The prank, revealed on a BBC podcast, did not get the cricket balls back, and got the brothers banned from the game entirely.
Key Takeaways
Judi Dench , 91 , revealed the childhood prank on the BBC's This Natural Life podcast hosted by Martha Kearney .
She pushed a dead rat — with a written message attached — through the letterbox of neighbour Miss Lazenby in York .
The prank was devised by her older brothers Jeffery and Peter , who wanted their cricket balls returned.
Dench said the tactic 'probably' did not work; her brothers were subsequently banned from playing cricket.
Dench's career accolades include an Oscar , ten BAFTAs , two Golden Globes , two SAG Awards , seven Olivier Awards , and a Tony Award .
Veteran British actress Judi Dench, celebrated for her commanding portrayals of royalty and intelligence chiefs, has revealed a rather less dignified chapter from her childhood — admitting she once pushed a dead rat through a neighbour's letterbox on the instructions of her older brothers. The 91-year-old actress made the confession on the BBC's This Natural Life podcast.
The Story Behind the Prank
Speaking to host Martha Kearney, Dench opened by acknowledging it was a 'terrible story' before tracing its origins to her two elder brothers, Jeffery and Peter. The trio grew up in York, where the boys regularly played cricket in the garden — and just as regularly lost their balls over the fence into neighbouring properties.
'The boys used to play cricket in the garden, and they used to be always batting the balls over into the other gardens, and there was a lady called Miss Lazenby, and she never ever would throw the ball back, or give us the balls back,' Dench recalled.
How the Rat Ended Up at Miss Lazenby's Door
The prank took shape when the brothers discovered a dead rat in the barn. According to Dench, they wrapped it up and enlisted their younger sister as the delivery agent. 'Once the boys found a dead rat in the barn, and they parcelled it up, and they said to me, "Judi, will you just go round and put this through Miss Lazenby's door?"' she recounted.
Dench duly complied. 'So I did go and squeeze it through Miss Lazenby's door,' she said. The rat arrived with a written message — tied to it — that read: 'Please give us our balls back.' The neighbour's reaction, Dench noted, was one of visible outrage.
Did It Work?
When asked whether the unconventional approach succeeded, Dench said 'probably not.' Her brothers were reportedly banned from playing cricket shortly afterwards — suggesting the gambit backfired rather spectacularly. The anecdote offers a rare glimpse of mischief behind one of British cinema's most composed public personas.
A Career Built on Dignity — and Range
Since those rat-posting days in York, Dench has built one of the most decorated careers in British acting history. She has portrayed Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Victoria on screen, played intelligence chief M across three James Bond films, and embodied the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice.
Her role as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress — remarkable given she appeared on screen for just eight minutes. She has since received multiple additional Oscar nominations, including for her portrayal of Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown. Her trophy cabinet also includes ten BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, two SAG Awards, seven Olivier Awards, and a Tony Award.
The podcast revelation is a reminder that even the most distinguished careers have unexpectedly colourful beginnings — and that childhood grievances, however creatively resolved, do not always yield the desired result.
Point of View
With her eyesight reportedly deteriorating and fewer film roles available, these podcast appearances keep her cultural presence vivid. The rat story will travel far further than any career retrospective would.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Judi Dench reveal on the BBC podcast?
Judi Dench admitted on the BBC's This Natural Life podcast that she once pushed a dead rat through the letterbox of a neighbour named Miss Lazenby while growing up in York. The prank was devised by her older brothers Jeffery and Peter to recover cricket balls the neighbour refused to return.
Why did Judi Dench push a dead rat through her neighbour's door?
Her brothers found a dead rat in the barn and asked her to deliver it — with a written message reading 'Please give us our balls back' — to Miss Lazenby, who had been keeping their cricket balls. Dench described it as her brothers' idea and called the story 'terrible' herself.
What awards has Judi Dench won in her career?
Dench has won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love, ten BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, two SAG Awards, seven Olivier Awards, and a Tony Award. She has also received multiple Oscar nominations, including for Mrs Brown.
Where did Judi Dench grow up?
Judi Dench grew up in York, England, where the childhood cricket-and-rat incident took place. She has since become one of the most decorated actors in British screen and stage history.
