Dame Judi Dench is both an Oscar winner and a national treasure and she has a career that her 20-year-old Pride and Prejudice co-star Keira Knightley can only dream about.

With acting anecdotes dating back over 40 years, the first lady of British film and theatre would surely make an intriguing guest for any chat show. But Judi's age is holding her back, according to film producer Harvey Weinstein.

Despite an Oscar-nominated performance for her latest role in Mrs Henderson Presents, the 71-year-old actress was reportedly snubbed by three US network talk shows because of her age, with NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and The View all reportedly turning down the British actress.

"They said that she didn't fit their demographics," Weinstein said. "I mean, what do they think, 25-year-old people can't watch 70- year-old people? The insanity of youth. It also assumes none of us like our families!"

Whether or not rumours of Dame Judi's snubbed sofa circuit are true, debate about the issue of age discrimination has now reared its head again.

According to Age Concern, from the age of 55 onwards, people are almost twice as likely to have experienced age prejudice than any other form of discrimination.

"Ageism affects everyone, young, middle-aged and old alike," says Professor Dominic Abrams, social psychologist at the University of Kent. "Ageism is the unwarranted assumption that age-based stereotypes should be applied to individuals on the basis of their appearance or chronological age."

There's good news for employees who feel their age is affecting their job prospects.

From Sunday, October 1, 2006, age discrimination will be illegal in the workplace.