Once up a time turning 80 was a sign of, well, old age. Not for Dame Judi Dench, who as far as we can see, appears to look better every year. So, in celebration of her birthday today, here are the 8 reasons why you should ALL love her as much as we do..
  
1.      She is 80. And she looks like that. Without any surgery. In fact, she probably looks even more glamorous than she did at 20 or 30. Doesn’t it make you look forward to getting older?
 
2.     She is an acting legend. Who else could win an Oscar for a performance that lasted all of 8 minutes (Shakespeare in Love. Queen Elizabeth… If you haven’t seen it, we judge you)

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3.     She knows how to rock a pixie cut – and a blue rinse.
 
4.     She’s a feminist icon. Yes, we were ‘amused’ by the endless skimpily-dressed Bond girls with their double entendre names – Pussy Galore, Holly Goodhead – but with Dame Judi’s M (the Head of the Secret Intelligence Service and 007’s boss) we finally had some redress to franchise’s chauvinism. And she nailed the part.
 
5.     She is genuinely funny – and doesn’t give a toss what anyone else thinks of her. Case in point: appearing on Michael Parkinson’s show (FYI fellow legendary octogenarian) with her feet up and her shoes off. In front of 7 million viewers. 

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6.     She was genuinely terrifying in Notes on a Scandal. You’ll never look at your teachers the same way again

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7.     She really really really loved her husband. Now that may sound trite, but in Hollywood-land, where marriages barely last 55 hours (see Britney Spears) Dame Judi and Michael were devoted to each other for 30 years until he died from lung cancer in 2001. He used to read her scripts for her to decide whether she should do a film. After he died she simply carried on not reading anything, picking her films on a whim. Because she can. Heart.
 
8.     Because, admit it, you’d love it if she was your granny.