Dame Judi Dench was overcome with emotion when Louis Theroux questioned her about her late husband's death for his BBC2 interview programme.
The actress, 87, appeared on the documentary maker's latest show when the 52-year-old asked her about Michael Williams' death in 2001.
While trying to be sensitive in his approach of the topic, Louis asked the Oscar winner: "You were together from 71 to 2001... Are you OK talking about how it came to an end, how he came to die?"
And although she went on to discuss the painful moments, she was visibly emotional when she initially replied: " Well he wasn't well... I'm not good at it, actually."
She continued: "Yes, he died in 2001 of lung cancer. Smoking you see, all that smoking when we were young. 'I was in New York and they said he was not well. My agent flew out and we came back on Concorde the next day and it aborted take-off.
"We got off and we went back and said: 'Oh, it'll be alright.' We got on another plane and the same thing happened. It was a long old time to get back.
"We got back here and we were all in the house together and that was very, very good indeed."
Dame Judi met Michael during a theatre production of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi. The pair welcomed daughter Tara Cressida Williams - whose since become known as Finty Williams - in 1972.
Dame Judi also admitted to Louis that she refuses to quit acting despite a disorder now making it hard for her to read. She opened up about having advanced macular degeneration which has left her not being able to read or write and needing someone else to cut up her food.
The condition, according to the NHS is a common condition that affects the middle part of your vision. It usually first affects people in their 50s and 60s and Judi said it's become more difficult as she's got older to maintain her independence.
Speaking about continuing her career, the actress candidly told Louis: "I don't want to retire. I'm not doing much at the moment because I can't see. It's bad."
However, she admitted: "I have a photographic memory so a person saying to me, 'This is your line...' I can do that."
