Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of

The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The ...

after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner,

Dawn French Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a British actress, comedian, presenter and writer. French is known for writing and starring on the BBC comedy sketch show '' French and Saunders'' with her best friend and comedy partner, Jennifer Sau ...

. With French, she co-wrote and starred in their eponymous sketch show, ''

French and Saunders ''French and Saunders'' is a British sketch comedy television series written by and starring comedy duo and namesake Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that originally broadcast on BBC2 from 1987 to 1993, and later on BBC One until 2017. It is a ...

'', for which they jointly received a

BAFTA Fellowship The BAFTA Fellowship, or the Academy Fellowship, is a lifetime achievement award presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in recognition of "outstanding achievement in the art forms of the moving image". The award is t ...

in 2009. Saunders later received acclaim in the 1990s for writing and playing her character

Edina Monsoon Edina "Eddie" Margaret Rose Monsoon is one of the two main characters in the British television sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'', created and portrayed by comedian Jennifer Saunders. The founder and head of her own PR company, Edina consistently ...

in her sitcom '' Absolutely Fabulous''.

Early life

Jennifer Jane Saunders was born on 6 July 1958 in

Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington to the south-west, Holdingham to the no ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

, England.Hannah Hamad.
Jennifer Saunders
' — screenonline.org. Retrieved 4 October 2007. Her mother, Barbara Jane Saunders née Duminy, was a biology teacher, born in France, and her father, Robert Thomas Saunders, served as a pilot in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

(RAF). He reached the rank of

group captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

, and later worked for

British Aerospace British Aerospace plc (BAe) was a British aircraft, munitions and defence-systems manufacturer. Its head office was at Warwick House in the Farnborough Aerospace Centre in Farnborough, Hampshire. Formed in 1977, in 1999 it purchased Marconi ...

. She has three brothers.Decca Aitkenhead.
What are you looking at?
' The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2021.Chrissy Iley
"Farewell French and Saunders"
The Times, 12 August 2007; retrieved 15 November 2021. As her father was in the armed forces during her childhood years, Saunders changed schools many times. She was educated from the age of five to 18 in

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...

s and then at St Paul's Girls' School, an independent school in west London. After school, she worked for a year in Italy as an

au pair An au pair (; plural: au pairs) is a helper from a foreign country working for, and living as part of, a host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family's responsibility for childcare as well as some housework, and receive a mon ...

. In 1977, Saunders received a place at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama was founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as The Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students. It became a ...

in London on a drama teachers' course, where she met her future comedy partner,

. French and Saunders came from RAF backgrounds, and had grown up on the same base, even having had the same best friend, without ever meeting. The comic duo originally did not get on well, and as far as Saunders was concerned, French was a "cocky little upstart". The distrust was mutual: French considered Saunders snooty and uptight. French wanted to become a drama teacher, whereas Saunders loathed the idea and had not fully understood what the course was about; thus, she disliked French for being enthusiastic and confident about the course. Saunders was shocked to find that she was taking a course to become a teacher, as her mother had filled in the application form. Her mother was saddened when Saunders chose not to apply for an

Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...

university education. After the initial friction experienced while at college, French and Saunders shared a flat together. French has remarked on Saunders' messy habits when sharing the house saying: "When we lived together in

Chalk Farm Chalk Farm is a small urban district of north London, lying immediately north of Camden Town, in the London Borough of Camden. History Manor of Rugmere Chalk Farm was originally known as the Manor of Rugmere, an estate that was mentioned ...

, she had a room at the top of the house. We got broken into and the police said, 'Well, it is quite bad, but the worst is that room at the top.' And, of course, nobody had been in there." The two performed together after graduation, working the festival, cabaret, and stand-up circuits. They formed a double-act called The Menopause Sisters. Saunders described the act, which involved wearing

tampons A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation. Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. Once inserted correctly, a tampon is held ...

in their ears, as "cringeworthy." The manager of the club where they performed recalled, "They didn't seem to give a damn. There was no star quality about them at all."

Career

Early career

French and Saunders would eventually come to public attention as members of the informal comedy collective

, part of the

alternative comedy Alternative comedy is a term coined in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era. The phrase has had different connotations in different contexts: in the UK, it was used to describe ...

scene in the early 1980s. They answered a 1980 advert in ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' newspaper looking for female comedians to perform at The Comic Strip, which had, until that point, only had male performers. When they walked into the audition, they were immediately told, "You're booked. When can you start?" They became continuing members of The Comic Strip, which included

Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. He was part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s and had roles in the television series '' The Young Ones'' (1 ...

Rik Mayall Richard Michael Mayall (7 March 1958 – 9 June 2014) was an English actor, stand-up comedian and writer. He formed a close partnership with Ade Edmondson while they were students at Manchester University and was a pioneer of alternative ...

, Peter Richardson, and Robbie Coltrane. The group performed at the Boulevard Theatre, above Soho's Raymond Revuebar, and gained a cult following, with visiting audience members including

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

, and

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

, who once joined in the performance. By the time French and Saunders became members of The Comic Strip, French was already working as a drama teacher, whilst Saunders was on

the dole Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by authorized bodies to unemployed people. In the United States, benefits are funded by a compu ...

and spending much of her time in bed.

1980s and 1990s

The comedy group appeared on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

's first night on air, in the first episode of '' The Comic Strip Presents: Five Go Mad In Dorset'', broadcast on 2 November 1982. In the episodes " Bad News" and "More Bad News", Saunders plays a trashy rock journalist touring with the fictional heavy metal band Bad News. In 1985, Saunders starred in and co-wrote '' Girls on Top'' with French, Tracey Ullman, and Ruby Wax, which portrayed four eccentric women sharing a flat in London. Saunders also appeared in Ben Elton's '' Happy Families'' where she played various members of the same family, including all four Fuddle sisters in the six-episode BBC

situation comedy A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use new ...

. Saunders starred in a Comic Strip film called ''The Supergrass'', a little-known parody of slick 1980s police dramas, directed by Peter Richardson. Saunders played

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

playing Arthur Scargill's wife in ''Strike'', a Comic Strip spoof on the

1984 miners' strike Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast As ...

. She appeared twice as a guest on '' The Young Ones''. In 1987, she and French created ''

'', a popular

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...

series for the BBC which aired until 2007.Editors at Screen Online
Dawn French"
screenonline.org.uk; retrieved 10 May 2007. By the end of the 1980s, the show was an established comedy programme and became a staple in BBC viewing. Saunders also appeared in

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and s ...

's ''

The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball ''The Secret Policeman's Ball'' is a series of benefit shows staged initially in the United Kingdom to raise funds for the human rights organisation Amnesty International. The shows started in 1976 featuring popular British comedians but lat ...

'' live benefit in 1989, along with Dawn French and others. Saunders and French followed separate careers as well as maintaining their comedy sketch show. Saunders' biggest solo success has been '' Absolutely Fabulous''. The comedy was, in fact based largely on a fourteen-minute ''French & Saunders'' sketch called "Modern Mother and Daughter". Saunders and French were going to star in the comedy together, but just as the studio had been booked, French received a long-awaited phone call confirming that an adoption agency had a new baby for her to adopt. Saunders proceeded to star in the comedy. The series, which she wrote and starred in as the irresponsible fashion PR agent

alongside

Joanna Lumley Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...

, who played

Patsy Stone Patsy Stone is one of the two main characters from the British television sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'', portrayed by actress Joanna Lumley. Background Patsy was the last of a string of children born to an aging Bohemian mother in Paris, who g ...

, brought her international acclaim and attention. The show ran for five full series, two telemovies, three special episodes, and a feature film over the course of twenty-four years from 1992 to 2016. The series is also known as ''Ab Fab'' and was broadcast in the United States on Comedy Central and

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is jointly owned by BBC Studios and AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary seri ...

, becoming cult viewing. Saunders has appeared on the American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

s ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Rosea ...

'', playing Edina Monsoon in the episode " Satan, Darling", and ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Li ...

'' as Andrea Waltham, the step-mother of

Emily Emily may refer to: * Emily (given name), including a list of people with the name Music * "Emily" (1964 song), title song by Johnny Mandel and Johnny Mercer to the film ''The Americanization of Emily'' * "Emily" (Dave Koz song), a 1990 song ...

Ross Geller Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer, is one of the six main characters of the NBC sitcom ''Friends''. Ross is considered by many to be the most intelligent member of the group and is noted for his goofy but lovable demeanor. His relatio ...

's fiancée, in the episodes " The One After Ross Says Rachel" and " The One with Ross's Wedding". Although they share no scenes, Jennifer's Absolutely Fabulous co-star

June Whitfield Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018) was an English radio, television, and film actress. Her big break was a lead in the radio comedy ''Take It from Here'', which aired on the BBC Light Programme in 1953. ...

also appeared in ''The One With Ross's Wedding Part Two'' as the Waltham's housekeeper. In 1999, she appeared alongside French in '' Let Them Eat Cake''.

2000s

Saunders wrote and starred in a

comedy drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

about a Women's Institute entitled '' Jam & Jerusalem'', also known as ''Clatterford'' in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. The first series aired in 2006, the second in 2008, and the third in 2009 on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

. The show starred David Mitchell, Sally Phillips, and Sue Johnston, as well as

and

. In 2007, Saunders and psychologist Tanya Byron wrote

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

's '' The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle'' about a neurotic

daytime Daytime as observed on Earth is the period of the day during which a given location experiences natural illumination from direct sunlight. Daytime occurs when the Sun appears above the local horizon, that is, anywhere on the globe's hemi ...

talk show A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...

host. The show ran for one series. Saunders played the eponymous character whose programme features crude headlines such as "Wife a slapper? Lie detector reveals all". Also in 2007, the final series of ''French & Saunders'' aired. ''A Bucket o' French & Saunders'' featured a compilation of old and new sketches and aired on BBC One in September 2007. It was the third show she had written in a year. In 2008 and 2009, French & Saunders completed their final live tour, ''French & Saunders: Still Alive''. Saunders appeared on the " Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" segment of BBC Two's motoring show '' Top Gear'', posting a lap time of 1:46.1s, making her the fifth-fastest guest ever in the car that was used at that time. A self-confessed petrolhead, she has a passion for

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...

s and has so far owned four.

2010s

In 2011, Saunders wrote and appeared in " Uptown Downstairs Abbey", the

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

parody of the critically acclaimed historical television dramas ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. The series first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States o ...

'' and '' Upstairs Downstairs''. Playing the Dowager Countess, she starred alongside Lumley, Kim Cattrall,

Victoria Wood Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was an English comedian, actress, lyricist, singer, composer, pianist, screenwriter, producer and director. Wood wrote and starred in dozens of sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over se ...

Harry Enfield Henry Richard Enfield (born 30 May 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer and director. He is known in particular for his television work, including '' Harry Enfield's Television Programme'' and ''Harry & Paul'', and for the creation and ...

Patrick Barlow Evan George Patrick Barlow (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, ''Desmond Olivier Dingle'', is the founder, artistic director and chief executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, whic ...

, Dale Winton,

Olivia Colman Sarah Caroline Sinclair ( Colman; born 30 January 1974), known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress. Known for her comedic and dramatic roles in film and television, she has received various accolades, including an Academy A ...

, Tim Vine, Simon Callow,

Michael Gambon Sir Michael John Gambon (; born 19 October 1940) is an Irish-English actor. Regarded as one of Ireland and Britain's most distinguished actors, he is known for his work on stage and screen. Gambon started his acting career with Laurence Olivi ...

, and Harry Hill. In 2012, Saunders guest-starred in '' Dead Boss'', a BBC Three comedy set in the fictional Broadmarsh prison where she plays the cruel and work-shy governor, Margaret. The show's creator,

Sharon Horgan Sharon Lorencia Horgan (born 13 July 1970) is an Irish actress, writer, director, comedian and producer who co-wrote and starred in the comedy series '' Pulling'' (2006–2009) and ''Catastrophe'' (2015–2019). She also created the HBO comedy ...

, stated that she 'begged' Saunders to take the role, having been a fan of Saunders' previous comedy work. She also wrote the script for the

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...

-based jukebox musical '' Viva Forever!'' In 2013, Saunders starred as

Lady Constance Keeble Lady Constance Keeble (née Threepwood, later Schoonmaker) is a recurring fictional character in the ''Blandings Castle'' stories by British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being Lord Emsworth's most formidable sister, a strikingly handsome woman, w ...

in the BBC adaptation of ''

Blandings Blandings Castle is a recurring fictional location in the stories of British comic writer P. G. Wodehouse, being the seat of Lord Emsworth (Clarence Threepwood, 9th Earl of Emsworth), home to many of his family and the setting for numerous tal ...

'' by P. G. Wodehouse. In 2017, Saunders appeared on the ''

Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...

'' episode "

Looking for Mr. Goodbart "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" is the twentieth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 616th episode of the series overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on April 30, 2017, and t ...

" as an elderly woman accompanied around by Bart.

Film

Saunders has also appeared in several films, such as ''

In the Bleak Midwinter "In the Bleak Midwinter" is a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, commonly performed as a Christmas carol. The poem was published, under the title "A Christmas Carol", in the January 1872 issue of ''Scribner's Monthly,'' and was first ...

'' (1995), ''

Muppet Treasure Island ''Muppet Treasure Island'' is a 1996 American musical swashbuckler comedy film directed by Brian Henson. It is the fifth theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. Adapted from the 1883 novel ''Treasure Island'' by Robert Louis Stevenson, ...

'' (1996), ''Fanny & Elvis'' (1999), and also made

cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...

s in the

' film '' Spice World'' (1997) and '' Absolument fabuleux'' (2001), a French film based on ''Absolutely Fabulous.'' In the animated film, ''

Shrek 2 ''Shrek 2'' is a 2004 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 picture book '' Shrek!'' by William Steig, produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The sequel to ''Shrek'' (2001) and the ...

'', she provided the voice of the Fairy Godmother and singing the songs "The Fairy Godmother Song" and " Holding Out for a Hero". Her part took only four days to record. The sequel broke the first ''

Shrek ''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jen ...

''s own box office record in the U.S in just a fortnight, and it proceeded to make $353 million in just three weeks in the U.S. Her role won the People's Choice Award for the best movie villain in 2005. She voiced Miss Spink in the animated film '' Coraline'', in which her comedy partner Dawn French voiced a character called Miss Forcible. In 2015, she voiced

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

in the animated film '' Minions,'' and in 2016, she voiced Miss Nana Noodleman in the animated film ''

Sing Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

'', reprising the role again in Sing 2. In 2022 she starred in ‘ Death on the Nile’ as Marie Van Schuyler alongside

, Gal Gadot, &

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

who also directed the film.

Theatre

In 2018 Saunders appeared at the Vaudeville Theatre in the production of ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’ as The Duchess of Berwick. In June 2019 she appeared on stage in the production of Noël Cowards play ‘''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * ''Blithe Spirit'' (2020 film), a British-American comedy film based on th ...

’'' as eccentric clairvoyant Madam Arcati. The show first opened at Theatre Royal Bath, and after a short tour of England it later transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre, London in March 2020. Two weeks into its run performances were cancelled due to the pandemic. She reprised the role in autumn 2021 for 8 weeks in the West End at The

Harold Pinter Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

. In the summer of 2022 Saunders played the role of Mother Superior in '' Sister Act the Musical'' for 6 weeks at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith alongside

Beverley Knight Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English recording artist and musical theatre actress. She released her first album, '' The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke and ...

as Deloris Van Cartier.

Personal life

Saunders married

on 11 May 1985, in Cheshire. They have three daughters: singer-songwriter

Ella Edmondson Eleanor Rose "Ella" Edmondson (born 22 January 1986) is an English singer-songwriter. Her primary instrument is the guitar although she can also play the piano.Interview with Judi Spiers on BBC Devon, 16 February 2009. Early life Eleanor Rose Edm ...

(b. 1986), actress

Beattie Edmondson Beatrice Louise "Beattie" Edmondson (born 19 June 1987) is an English actress. She played a main character in the BBC Three sitcom '' Josh''. Early life Beatrice Louise Edmondson is the middle daughter of comedians Ade Edmondson and Jennifer Sau ...

(b. 1987), and actress Freya Edmondson (b. 1990). She has five grandchildren. In July 2010, Saunders announced that she had been diagnosed with

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

the previous October, and was in remission following a lumpectomy,

chemotherapy Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...

, and

radiotherapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Rad ...

. Saunders published her autobiography, ''Bonkers: My Life in Laughs'', in October 2013. She has volunteered for Dress for Success, a non-profit organisation which gives free clothes and advice about job interviews to women who are unemployed.Emma Barnett
Dress for Success: the charity quietly getting British women back into work
''The Daily Telegraph'', 18 October 2012.

Awards and recognition

Along with Dawn French, Saunders declined an OBE in 2001. In 2003, she was listed in ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. Saunders was placed 93rd out of E!'s 100 Sexiest British Stars. She also came 18th for Best British Role Models for teenage girls in Britain according to '' Good Housekeeping Magazine''. Saunders was awarded an honorary doctorate by the

University of Exeter , mottoeng = "We Follow the Light" , established = 1838 - St Luke's College1855 - Exeter School of Art1863 - Exeter School of Science 1955 - University of Exeter (received royal charter) , type = Public , ...

in July 2007. In July 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by

Edge Hill University Edge Hill University is a campus-based public university in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, which opened in 1885 as Edge Hill College, the first non-denominational teacher training college for women in England, before admitting its first male stu ...

. In 2005, Saunders was named the fourth funniest woman in Britain in a poll of 4,000 women. To date, she has been nominated for and received many awards, including:

Won

*1991: Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for TV Light Entertainment – ''French & Saunders.'' *1993:

BAFTA Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the BAFTA. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1955, consisted of six categories. Until ...

for Best Comedy Series for – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (shared with Jon Plowman and Bob Spiers)List of BAFTA awards for 1992
Bafta web site *1993: Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award TV for Situation Comedy – ''Absolutely Fabulous.'' *1993: British Comedy Award for Top Female Performer *2002: Honorary Rose Award – awarded with Dawn French *2005: People's Choice Award for Favourite Movie Villain – ''Shrek 2'' *2009: BAFTA Fellowship – awarded with

*2012: BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Performance In a Comedy Programme – '' Absolutely Fabulous''

Nominated

*1993:

for Best Light Entertainment Performance for – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' *1993: British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Actress – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' *1994: British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actress – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' *1995: BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy Series for – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (shared with Jon Plowman and Bob Spiers) *1996: BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy Series for – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (shared with Jon Plowman and Bob Spiers) *1997: BAFTA Television Award for Best Comedy Series for – ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (shared with Jon Plowman, Bob Spiers and Janice Thomas)List of Award winners for 1996
bafta.org; accessed 18 December 2017.

Television

Film

Writer

*2016: '' Ab Fab: The Movie'' (writer) *2012: '' Viva Forever!'' (writer) *2006: '' Jam & Jerusalem'' (16 episodes, 2006–2009) *2008: '' French and Saunders Still Alive'' (V) (writer) *2007: '' The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle'' (6 episodes, 2007) *2007: ''A Bucket o' French & Saunders'' (5 episodes, 2007) *2001: '' Absolument fabuleux'' (creator: TV series Absolutely Fabulous) *2000: '' Mirrorball'' (TV) (writer) *2000: ''French & Saunders Live'' (V) (writer) *1999: '' The Nearly Complete and Utter History of Everything'' (TV) (writer) *1998: ''Absolutely Fabulous: A Life'' (V) (writer) *1998: ''Absolutely Fabulous: Absolutely Not!'' (V) (original idea) *1996: ''

'' (1 episode, 1996) *1993: ''French and Saunders Live'' (V) (writer) *1992: '' Absolutely Fabulous'' (38 episodes, 1992–2012) *1991: ''

'' (TV) (uncredited) *1987: ''

'' (38 episodes, 1987–2005) *1986: ''

'' (TV) (writer) *1984: '' The Comic Strip Presents...'' (2 episodes, 1984–1986) *1985: '' Girls on Top'' TV series (unknown episodes) *1981: ''

'' (TV) (writer)

Bibliography

*''Absolutely Fabulous: Continuity'' *''Absolutely Fabulous'' (scripts from the show) *''Absolutely Fabulous 2'' (more scripts from the show) *''A Feast of French and Saunders'' (with

) ;Autobiography *''Bonkers: My Life in Laughs'' (Viking, 2013)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Jennifer 1958 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English comedians 20th-century English women writers 20th-century English writers 21st-century English actresses 21st-century English comedians 21st-century English women writers 21st-century English writers Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama BAFTA fellows Best Female Comedy Performance BAFTA Award (television) winners Comedians from Lincolnshire English autobiographers English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English television writers English voice actresses English women comedians People educated at St Paul's Girls' School People from Sleaford, Lincolnshire The Comic Strip Women autobiographers British women television writers