Angela Lansbury says men's sex obsession can make women gay Angela Lansbury was married for 54 years She says many women have simply 'given up' on men However, Barbara Taylor Bradford says wives should admire husbands By Mail Foreign Service Iconic role: Angela Lansbury, here in Murder She Wrote, has let men in on a few home truths about marriage She endeared herself to millions as the crime-solving writer Jessica Fletcher. When it comes to solving marriage problems, however, actress Angela Lansbury may not have quite so many fans - at least, not among the male half of the species. Contrary to what they might think, according to the 87-year-old the key to wedded bliss is definitely not sex. And, worse, she claims some women have become so exasperated with men that they turn to other women instead. Miss Lansbury, who was married for 54 years, said a "good man" should try to make his marriage work by realising sex is not the be all and end all. The actress, most famous for the long-running television series Murder, She Wrote, said: Unfortunately, what goes on in bed has come to be considered all-important, but that really isn't the most important thing in a relationship, ultimately. It's not the thing that's going to support a marriage necessarily through 40 or 50 years. I think a good man is someone who pays attention to a marriage and is prepared to work at it. Miss Lansbury, whose 70-year career has spanned the stage, film and TV, has been married twice. Her first marriage, to American actor Richard Cromwell, lasted just a year, ending in divorce in 1946. After that she married British actor and businessman Peter Shaw, with whom she had two children. Mr Shaw died in 2003. The couple had been married for 54 years. Marriage tips: Angela Lansbury, pictured in 1946, shared her relationship secrets after being married to her own husband for 54 years Alternative take on marriage: Barbara Taylor Bradford, with her husband Robert Bradford, has advice men might find more palatable Of Mr Shaw, she said: "Peter was one of the handsomest men you'll ever see. He was friendly, a sportsman, a very good businessman, and a terrific guy. But today's women are unlikely to be so fortunate. Miss Lansbury, the granddaughter of 1930s Labour Party leader George Lansbury, said: "Women are now suffering for the lack of enough men to go around. Many women have given up. In many cases I think women prefer to have a relationship with a woman. Anyway, there are many inherent differences between the sexes. It can be an area that is insurmountable and women put up with a hell of a lot. Not necessarily philandering, I mean generally. Men are going to get up to some nonsense sometimes and we don't want to know about it. Well we do ultimately! Chaps may prefer the marriage advice of real-life writer Barbara Taylor Bradford, who last month advised wives they should admire their husbands. Miss Taylor Bradford, 79, who has been married to film producer Bob Bradford for almost 50 years, said: "I think that, basically, you can't just be in love with man. You have to work at marriage. You have to like and respect the man you are married to.