Over a decade after being diagnosed with a deadly strain of superbug MRSA, the actress has revealed she is free of medication and can walk without the aid of a stick.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Men Behaving Badly star shook off suggestions she had coloured her hair darker in order to be taken more seriously.
"That’s such a cliche, although I do think you get noticed a bit more when you’re blonde. You give out a bit more. You stand out," she said.
"I grew up in a world of extreme sexism. But I’ve gone darker for practical reasons. Being blonde takes its toll on your hair, and having highlights is unbelievably expensive. My hair is a bit grey and wiry now, so I had it dyed nearer to the colour it used to be naturally.
"And people react differently to me, without a doubt. You become a bit more invisible, but you do anyway when you’re in your 50s. I don’t think it’s good or bad. It’s just inevitable."
And the mother-of-two even addressed her famous lips- once cruelly dubbed 'trout pout', following lip surgery.
"I made a documentary about (cosmetic) fillers and at the same time I was seeing someone who helped me reduce the size of my lips."
Speaking about the moment she was diagnosed with MSSA in 2004 after being treated for a punctured lung and cracked rib- injuries she has repeatedly denied were inflicted on her by her husband, the 55-year-old is just glad to be alive.
"[Being told I would be paralysed] that was scary.
"To be told just before you were being put under anaesthetic that you might not actually pull through, and that if you did you wouldn’t walk.
"My surgeon had to cut through two vertebrae to stop the infection from galloping up my spine to my brain."
But brave Leslie has pulled through following a 'hellish decade', and thanks to a sports therapist can now walk unaided and is passionate about returning to acting.
"I’ve got a new agent (Louise Dyson) who represents disabled actors, and I’m optimistic.
"My physical abilities may have diminished, but I have exactly the same mental capacity as I did before my illness. And disabled actors have a right to work. Acting’s my life. I’ve never known anything else. I’ve been in the business for 51 years."
We can't wait to see you back on our screens Les!