She provided the unseen Village Voice in the 1960s smash that revolutionised television throughout the world.

And what's more she never even went to the picturesque Italianate village of Portmeirion, near Penrhyndeudraeth, in Gwynedd, where the series was shot.

But, after nearly 40 years, that is about to be put right - and she's delighted.

It's been revealed that Ms Fielding is to be the special guest at a ceremony at Portmeirion to honour the small screen classic starring Patrick McGoohan.

On Friday, May 13, she will be unveiling a plaque that will form part of the North Wales Film and Television Trail, organised by the Wales Screen Commission. Ms Fielding is one of Britain's most popular and busiest screen stars.

Apart from The Prisoner, she is probably best known for her part as Valeria the vamp in Carry on Screaming but has also played a host of more serious, critically acclaimed roles. According to Ms Fielding, she's astonished that she still regularly receives fan mail for her anonymous character in The Prisoner, a role that took just an hour of her time in a recording studio.

She said: “I had worked with Patrick McGoohan on Dangerman and he wanted me for this part because of my voice.�

“I went along and did it but I obviously had no idea it was going to turn into such a cult. He didn't explain anything really, he just asked me not to be too sexy.�

“I was there for a morning, at the most it took an hour. I just sat at a table with a microphone and recorded it.�

“Although my role as the unseen Village Voice was uncredited, everybody recognised my voice straightaway. I still get lots of fan mail about it which is extraordinary.�

To this day, the plot of The Prisoner remains something of an enigma to most people - including its most ardent fans.

Patrick McGoohan plays Number 6, a man imprisoned in a beautiful village where, on the surface at least, everything is bright and cheerful.

The story in each of the 17 episodes revolves around his repeated though unsuccessful attempts to escape the sinister society.

Ms Fielding said: “When it came out on television, I was fascinated by it. I was simply amazed at how much the public were following it and how much rested on the solution which, of course, never came.�

“I didn't understand what was going on in the plot but that didn't seem terribly important at the time, it was just very gripping.�

“There is something about the hero's predicament that really grabs you, you've got to follow it - and I think it was that that made it so popular.�

“It's always good to be connected with something that's fantastically thrilling for the public, The Prisoner was an enthralling programme to the viewing public and if you're part of that, it's good for you.�

“I remember going to lots of dinner parties where people were talking about it and wondering how it could possibly be worked out.�

“Some of the people at these parties were writers themselves and came up with all kinds of solutions, none of which materialised.�

“It remains an enigma and that's possibly part of the secret why it is still utterly compelling to this day.�

“I think when people have been led up the garden path for weeks on end, I think they get very attached to something.�

“I have been to Wales quite a lot and I have always enjoyed it, but I have never been to Portmeirion so this will be my first visit and I'm very much looking forward to the experience.�

Patrick McGoohan is honoroary president of The Prisoner Appreciation Society, Six of One, and their organiser, Roger Langley, was thrilled that Fenella Fielding was unveiling the plaque.

Mr Langley said: "Ms Fielding provided one of the most important roles in The Prisoner. As the Village Voice, her unforgettable syrupy public address announcements were cleverly both soothing and sinister.�

“Despite Ms Fielding being unseen, her character has become enduringly popular and the actress is always regarded as synonymous with The Village.�

Richard Coombs, the Film Liaison Manager of the Wales Screen Commission, in North Wales, said: “We are naturally delighted that such an iconic figure as Fenella Fielding has agreed to unveil the plaque to commemorate The Prisoner.�

“The enduring popularity of the series and the part Ms Fielding played in it is testament to the creation of an all-time television classic, one that fully deserves its place in the Film and Television Trail.�

“The unveiling ceremony will be a very special occasion, one that will undoubtedly be enhanced by the presence of Ms Fielding on her first ever trip to Portmeirion.�