Joan Collins - A Life In Lipstick

In the first of two programmes - with unapologetic frankness, Joan reflects on Hollywood, on TV, on men, losing out on Cleopatra to Elizabeth Taylor, getting older and modern standards of beauty and glamour.

Featuring contributions from:

Sir Roger Moore

Stephanie Beacham

David Hasselhoff

Julian Clary

David Emanuel

Ellis Cashmore

Jo Botting

Joan recalls growing up in a showbiz family - her two aunts worked on the stage whilst her father Joe was an agent to the stars. Whilst still a teenager studying at RADA, Joan was offered a contract by The Rank Organisation. Dubbed the 'coffee bar jezebel' by the British press owing to her sultry looks and bad girl roles, Joan reflects on playing a jail bird in the 1953 film Turn The Key Softly.

Spotted by 20th Century Fox, Joan moved to Hollywood at a time when studios controlled their stars with an iron grip. Joan describes how she rebelled by moving in with a young Warren Beatty 'He wasn't that beautiful - he had spots'.

And then there was Bette Davis: 'Bette Davis was the first person I worked with in Hollywood - the first major star. She was even more terrifying than I expected.' But roles followed opposite a cluster of Hollywood's leading men including Paul Newman, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.

Joan speaks candidly about her marriage to Anthony Newley and how the demise of their relationship was immortalised in one of Newley's songs. 'I did this film Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness, we have this song Chalk and Cheese which meant we were like Chalk and Cheese and it was never going to work. And that was the end of our marriage.

Producer: Victoria Ferran

A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 2, first broadcast in July 2016.

Joan Collins recalls growing up, moving to Hollywood and her marriage to Anthony Newley.

Joan Collins recalls a life in Hollywood and beyond

With unapologetic frankness, she reflects on Hollywood, on TV, on men, losing out on Cleopatra to Elizabeth Taylor, getting older and modern standards of beauty and glamour.

With contributions from Sir Roger Moore, Stephanie Beacham, David Hasselhoff, Julian Clary, David Emanuel, Ellis Cashmore and Jo Botting.

In the last of two programmes, Joan recalls her return to acting in the 1970s. She vividly describes how she almost died whilst filming Empire Of The Ants and her two year battle to find a backer for The Stud - a film based on her sister Jackie's raunchy novel. She celebrates the string of disco hits that featured on the soundtrack.

American TV producer, Aaron Spelling, had been a close friend since the 1950s 'We used to hang out at his apartment in Hollywood and he used to talk about how he was going to be a big producer one day. Hahaha I would say.' He invited her to play Cleopatra in his hit show Fantasy Island - a role she'd originally been offered by 20th Century Fox in the early 60s until she was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor.

When it came to casting the role of Alexis in Dynasty, Spelling was adamant that Joan be given the part - despite the studio's fierce objections. Joan remembers preparing for the iconic 80s role: 'I basically based my character a little bit on Donald Trump who I knew at the time, a feisty go-ahead businessman. I thought this will be good to use this as a basis for how my character is.

She also describes the joys of holidaying in St Tropez, performing in panto with Julian Clary, and receiving her damehood in March 2015.

Producer: Susan Marling

A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 2, first broadcast in July 2016.

Joan Collins recalls her return to acting in the 1970s and playing Alexis in Dynasty.

Joan Collins recalls a life in Hollywood and beyond