Dame Helen Mirren has advised the younger generation to avoid smoking, but insisted they shouldn't "live like a nun" either

When issuing advice to youngsters, she told Grazia magazine: "Don't smoke, that's rule number one and do everything, but don't do too much of anything - that's a great way of looking at things, because it's important to take care of your health, but you also don't want to live like a nun."

The MobLand star has been a household name for years, but she is still pleasantly surprised when someone approaches her to tell her she is "great".

She said: "It always surprises me when someone comes up to me in a supermarket or an airport and says that they think I'm great, but it's lovely.

"This sort of thing is fun, it's fabulous, it's fantastic. It doesn't feel right to say that I'm proud of being a role model to people, but it's a great feeling."

Helen admitted one of her luxuries in life is buying make-up and then heading home to spend "hours" applying her new purchases.

But the star doesn't like it when her favourite products are discontinued.

She added: "My idea of a treat is going into a drugstore and buying myself another lip liner.

"I sit at my little desk at home and can spend hours putting my make-up on, it's something I've always loved to do.

"It's not that I don't like trying new products, the innovation is amazing, but it's heart-breaking when you hit on a foundation or a mascara that you love - the golden chalice - only to find out a few years later that it has been discontinued."