Helena Bonham Carter advises women to get a vibrator to cope with lockdown

Helena Bonham Carter has advised single women to get a vibrator to cope with any further lockdowns.

The 54-year-old The Crown star has teamed up with dating app Bumble’s campaign to champion the effort of pandemic daters – and said that the ladies should give themselves an easy time of things this year.

She said: ‘Get a vibrator. And a weighted blanket for hugs. 

‘Also, do nothing. When the world is going crazy, when you are in shock from something, these are times to do nothing, be still. 

‘Forget progress. Just be. Aim for tea in the afternoon and nothing more ambitious.’

Helena discussed how her single friends have coped and said: ‘I have single friends and I think this year has been incredibly difficult. 

‘Bumble have done their research and found that a lot of people who are single have felt that they’ve lost a year and they’ll never catch up. Which is of course neurotic nonsense and totally understandable.’

But Helena, who has been dating writer Rye Dag Holmboe, 32, for two years, believes single women shouldn’t feel guilty if they haven’t tried to meet anyone this year. 

She said: ‘Women can often blame themselves but the fact is, it’s been an impossible year. But impossibility is still the mother of creativity and there are still ways to meet people online.

‘I have friends who have hit 35 and think they need to get a man or have a baby but people should just quit putting those goal posts on themselves. 

‘Everybody develops at a different rate just as babies learn to walk at different ages. I’m nearly 55 and I still haven’t grown up.’

Bumble, the women-first social app, have created a film starring Helena, titled ‘When Dating Met 2020’ detailing the highs and lows of dating in 2020, championing those who have made an effort to date this year. 

The film follows one woman’s dating journey in 2020 as she looks back at the hurdles she has faced and overcome.   

Meanwhile, Helena spoke about her own personal positives which have come out of 2020. 

She said: ‘One good thing about the pandemic, there’s been appalling things obviously but there’s also been some gifts and one gift for me is that if you’ve been deprived of all the things you took for granted, like just going out or going to a restaurant, suddenly it all becomes fresh and new and you get to do that gratitude thing that we’re always told to do. 

‘Temporary deprivation means mega wattage appreciation when its returned to us. 

‘And maybe it’s helped people get to know each other and go slower rather than meet, drink, jump in the sack and then morning after small talk, modus operandi of pre-pandemic dating.’

Helena shares son Billy, 17, and 12-year-old daughter Nell with her ex Tim Burton, 62.

The Cinderella star had a famously unconventional 13-year relationship with director Tim, which ended in 2014.

On finally moving on from Tim, the Enid star – who previously dated Irish actor Kenneth Branagh between 1994 and 1999 – admitted she grew tired of ‘grieving’ their relationship, and now leads a ‘happy’ life with her new boyfriend.