HELEN Mirren has blamed a film about childbirth she was shown as a schoolgirl for putting her off having children.

In a revealing interview, the Oscar-winning actress said the educational video horrified her and her classmates at St Bernard's High School, Westcliff.

Dame Helen was 13 when her class was taken by bus to a nearby boys' school and shown the film with a class of boys the same age.

On an Australian TV show, she said: "We were at that age when you're just beginning to be self-conscious about your physicality and about boys and all that.

"They sat us all down, boys and girls, all about 13, 14 years old in this horrible school hall."

The 62-year-old actress said a doctor came in and said they were about to see one of the greatest miracles.

Dame Helen, who used to live in Westcliff and Leigh, spent most of the film with her hands covering her face. Two boys fainted.

She said: "I swear it traumatised me to this day. I haven't had children and now I can't look at anything to do with childbirth. It absolutely disgusts me."

Asked if the film was the reason she has never had children, she replied: "I think it's a lot to do with it. I think in deep, proper psychological terms I was traumatised."