Joan Collins says the coronavirus lockdown reminds her of the Blitz

Dame Joan Collins recalls eating sandwiches in a bomb shelter during The Blitz and returning home to find her family’s flat ‘completely destroyed’ as she reveals lockdown is bringing back her memories of war

• Joan Collins has recalled her experience of the Blitz on Good Morning Britain 
• Dame Joan said she was evacuated to Brighton where she saw closed beaches 
• She said it’s a similar situation to today as public areas are closed amid lockdown
• Dynasty star, 86, will lead the nation’s in a toast to War Heroes at 3pm today  
• Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Dame Joan Collins has recalled her experience of the Blitz saying seeing boarded up beaches due to the coronavirus lockdown has reminded her of her childhood.

Speaking to Lorraine Kelly on Good Morning Britain, the Dynasty star, 86, said her memories of World War II have come back to her in the last few weeks.

She explained: ‘I do remember the war a little bit, it’s coming back to me more in the last few weeks, I was evacuated with my mother and her sister.   

Dame Joan Collins has recalled her experience of the Blitz saying seeing boarded up beaches due to the coronavirus lockdown has reminded her of her childhood.

Joan Collins (right) and her sister Jackie as children. The pair were evacuated from London with their mother duirng World War II

‘I remember coming back to London during one of the pauses in the Blitz, but when we were there it started again.

‘We went to a shelter in Marble Arch tube station. We could go down and sit in this very convivial atmosphere people passed around sandwiches and sang.

‘The next morning we went back to our flat in Maida Vale and it had been completely destroyed

At 3pm today, Dame Joan Collins will lead a toast to the heroes of the Second World War from the balcony of her London apartment to highlight the role played by women in the war.  

Dame Joan, pictured with her husband Percy Gibson at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party,  explained: ”I do remember the war a little bit, it’s coming back to me more in the last few weeks, I was evacuated with my mother and her sister.’

Discussing the similarities between the current pandemic and war, Dame Joan told Lorraine: ‘ I have been long concerned about this virus for a longtime, when I came from LA two and a half months ago in a mask and gloves I was derided by LAX staff, and by people when I was going to restaurants with wipes.

The public is encouraged to join her in raising a glass with the toast: ‘For those that gave so much, we thank you’ – the first time such a tribute has ever taken place.’

Discussing the similarities between the current pandemic and war, Dame Joan added: ‘I have been long concerned about this virus for a longtime, when I came from LA two and a half months ago in a mask and gloves I was derided by LAX staff, and by people when I was going to restaurants with wipes.

‘In the war, I was evacuated 12 times,  I never saw a banana until after the war, for a long time we were in Brighton, we’d look out at the sea and the wonderful beaches and we couldn’t go out there, all your could see was barbed wire, rather like today.

Dame Joan revealed how she wore masks and gloves before the lockdown – which she’s been in for 52 days

The legendary actress, who was 11 when VE day was celebrated in 1945, added she was never really scared of the war as she didn’t understand it, and at school Hitler and Mussolini were made out to be ‘cartoon characters’. 

‘VE Day was incredibly catching, my parents relaxed for the first time, Daddy bundled us into his car and we went down to Piccadilly.

‘People were dancing and singing, it was amazing, everybody was so so happy, it was a feeling of such relief. 

Echoing Dame Joan’s thoughts, Lotte Moore, who also survived the Blitz as a child explained her experience of the war.

Echoing Dame Joan’s thoughts, Lotte Moore,  84,  who also survived the Blitz as a child explained her experience of the war.

The author, 84, who’s written memoir’s about her childhood in 1940s Britain said: ‘ I remember my Dad coming through the door on this day, he was in trousers and a jersey and I knew he wasn’t in the RAF anymore.

‘All the bells were singing it was breakfast time. It was a wonderful day and everyone was singing.

‘Coronavirus is an insidious silent killer, I have my husband on a lead,  as I’m terrified

‘I think community spirit was incredibly important, during the war everyone helped each other, we’re having singing evening waving our flags tonight, people very much keeping to themselves, I miss children that I teach 

‘During the war, I was incredibly homesick and I didn’t see my family for two years, I didn’t know what was was – I went to London once because I had measles and it was black, I saw a bonfire and my granny explained it was someone’s house. 

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