Celia Imrie has lambasted British TV for being boring.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel star, 62, criticised home-grown TV shows for their frustratingly slow pace compared to US rivals.

And she said that she had little time for TV hit Broadchurch, the crime drama starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman.

“I found it all rather grim. Also rather boring,” Celia told Glamour magazine.

Broadchurch
Celia Imrie wasn’t a fan of Broadchurch, starring Olivia Colman and David Tennant (ITV)

“Quite frankly, I think English television is rather boring in general these days.

“I’ll sit there shouting, ‘Get on with it!’ at the TV, because things just move so slowly.”

The Calendar Girls actress added: “American TV, on the other hand, is absolutely brilliant at the moment. Nashville, House Of Cards and Homeland.”

Celia Imrie
Celia Imrie says people should lighten up (Ian West/PA)

Celia also said while her generation fought hard for equal rights, women who complain about getting wolf whistled at should “lighten up”.

“I’m thrilled if I’m whistled at. Of course I am,” she said.

“People have become so moany. I mean, I’m not mad about being called love or dear, but I quite like darling. And really, lighten up everyone. There’s enough horribleness in the world.”

But she criticised department stores for displaying “wall-to-wall pink” girls’ clothing. “Where are the tomboys of our generation? And this whole thing of calling little girls ‘princesses’ is just so terribly wrong,” she said. “Why are people made to feel their genders so firmly from the beginning?”