“I use all kinds of assistance,” said the British actress, who has struggled with spinal stenosis

Miriam Margolyes. Photo: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock, Warner Bros./Courtesy Everett Collection

Miriam Margolyes, known for playing herbology expert Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter movies, is sharing an update on her health.

Speaking to Closer Magazine, the 83-year-old actress — who has been open about her struggle with a spinal condition — revealed that she has had difficulty walking as her condition continues to worsen.

“I can’t walk very well, and I’m registered disabled,” she told the outlet. “I use all kinds of assistance. I’ve got two sticks and a walker and they’re such a bore, but I’ve just got a mobility scooter, which is a lot of fun.”

“It’s like having a new toy,” she quipped. “It’s very good for shopping because it’s got a basket on it – and I do enjoy whizzing around on it immensely.”

Margolyes has long discussed her struggle with multiple health conditions, including spinal stenosis and osteoporosis. According to Mayo Clinic, spinal stenosis occurs “when the space inside the backbone is too small. This can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine.”

Miriam Margolyes.Simon Schluter/Fairfax Media via Getty

In May 2023, Margolyes was admitted to The Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea, London, due to a chest infection. The following month — while appearing nude in British Vogue for Pride month — the actress was transparent about how her diet has impacted her health, and said it has contributed to her deteriorating spinal condition.

“I’ve limited my life because of my longing for fudge or chopped liver, cheesecake,” she said at the time. “All these absurdities. I shouldn’t have been so greedy. I should have been stronger.”

The British actress acknowledged that with her health decline, she will have to come to terms with the prospect of reduced mobility and will eventually have to rely on a wheelchair.

In October 2023, Margolyes also shared that she underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure, a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. Speaking on the Table Manners podcast with Jessie and Lennie Ware, she quipped, “I now have a cow’s heart.”

“Well, not the whole heart,” she clarified. “But I’ve had an aortic valve replaced with a cow’s aortic valve.”