Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English comedian, actress, singer, impressionist, satirist and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner, Dawn French. With French, Saunders co-wrote and starred in their eponymous sketch show, French and Saunders and later received acclaim in the 1990s for writing and playing her character Edina Monsoon in her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. She received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009 with French.
Early life
Jennifer Jane Saunders was born on 6 July 1958 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. Her mother, Barbara Jane (née Duminy), was a biology teacher, and her father, Robert Thomas Saunders, served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He reached the rank of group captain, and later worked for British Aerospace. Six months after her birth, Saunders' parents moved to Cyprus. Her family moved to Camberley, and then to Melksham when she was ten. She has three brothers: Tim, Peter, and Simon. As her father was in the armed forces during her childhood years, Saunders changed schools several times. Her first year of secondary school was at a comprehensive school in Wiltshire. Her parents had wanted her to board at Stonar School. Her family moved to Cheshire in 1971 when her father left the RAF for Hawker Siddeley. At Northwich Grammar School For Girls she played in goal for the school hockey team. After school, she worked for a year in Italy as an au pair; one of her employers, Adriana Ivanvich, was an inspiration for Saunder's later role in Absolutely Fabulous.
In 1977, Saunders received a place at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London on a drama teachers' course, 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. By the time French and Saunders became members of The Comic Strip, French was already working as a drama teacher, while Saunders was on the dole and spending much of her time in bed. 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 Amnesty International's The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball live benefit in 1989, along with Dawn French and others.
Saunders and French followed separate careers as well as irregularly maintaining their comedy sketch show. Saunders' biggest solo success has been Absolutely Fabulous, based largely on a 14-minute French & Saunders sketch called "Modern Mother and Daughter". Saunders and French were going to star together, but, just as the studio had been booked, French received a long-awaited phone call confirming an adoption agency had a baby for her to adopt.
Saunders has appeared on the American sitcoms Roseanne, playing Edina Monsoon in the episode "Satan, Darling", and Friends as Andrea Waltham, the step-mother of Emily, Ross Geller'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 also appeared in The One With Ross's Wedding Part Two as the Walthams' housekeeper. In 1999, she appeared alongside French in Let Them Eat Cake.
Saunders wrote and starred in a comedy drama about a Women's Institute titled Jam & Jerusalem, also known as Clatterford in the United States. The first series aired in 2006, the second in 2008, and the third in 2009 on BBC One. The show starred David Mitchell, Sally Phillips, and Sue Johnston, as well as Dawn French and Joanna Lumley.
In 2007, Saunders and psychologist Tanya Byron
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.
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 Romeos and has so far owned four.
2010s
In 2011, Saunders wrote and appeared in "Uptown Downstairs Abbey", the Comic Relief parody of the critically acclaimed historical television dramas Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs. Playing the Dowager Countess, she starred alongside Lumley, Kim Cattrall, Victoria Wood, Harry Enfield, Patrick Barlow, Dale Winton, Olivia Colman, Tim Vine, Simon Callow, Michael Gambon, 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, 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-based jukebox musical Viva Forever!
In 2013, Saunders starred as Lady Constance Keeble in the BBC adaptation of Blandings by P. G. Wodehouse. In 2017, Saunders appeared on the Simpsons episode "Looking for Mr. Goodbart" as an elderly woman accompanied around by Bart.
Film
Saunders has also appeared in several films, such as In the Bleak Midwinter (1995), Muppet Treasure Island (1996), Fanny & Elvis (1999), and also made cameo appearances in the Spice Girls' film Spice World (1997) and Absolument fabuleux (2001), a French film based on Absolutely Fabulous.
In the animated film, Shrek 2 (2004), she provided the voice of the Fairy Godmother and sang the songs "The Fairy Godmother Song" and "Holding Out for a Hero". Her part took only four days to record. 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 in the animated film Minions, and in 2016, she voiced Miss Nana Noodleman in the animated film Sing, reprising the role again in Sing 2.
In 2022, she starred in Death on the Nile as Marie Van Schuyler alongside Dawn French, Gal Gadot and Kenneth Branagh 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 Coward's play, Blithe Spirit, 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 eight weeks in the West End at The Harold Pinter Theatre.
In 2022, Saunders played the role of Mother Superior in Sister Act the Musical for six weeks at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, alongside Beverley Knight as Deloris Van Cartier.
In December 2023, Saunders made her pantomime debut as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the London Palladium alongside Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot, Rob Madge, Francis Mayli McCann and Louis Gaunt.
In March 2026, it was announced that she would play alongside Dawn French in Cinderella at the London Palladium.
Personal life
Saunders, who grew up in nearby Acton Bridge, married Adrian Edmondson at Christ Church, Crowton, Cheshire on 11 May 1985. At the wedding were fellow Comic Strip members Rik Mayall (Edmondson's longtime comedy partner) and Robbie Coltrane, whom the vicar, Rev Austin Oates, much to his surprise, described as 'delightful and charming'. The reception was held at Jennifer's parents' home. Afterwards the couple visited Saint Lucia.
They have three daughters: singer-songwriter Ella Edmondson (b. 1986), actress Beattie Edmondson (b. 1987), and actress Freya Edmondson (b. 1990). They have five grandchildren together.
In July 2010, Saunders announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer the previous October, and was in remission following a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Saunders published her autobiography, Bonkers: My Life in Laughs, in October 2013.
She is a patron for Smart Works Charity, a non-profit organisation supporting unemployed women into work through clothing and coaching.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Film
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1985
| The Supergrass
| Lesley Reynolds
| The Comic Strip Presents
|-
| 1987
| Eat the Rich
| Lady Caroline
| The Comic Strip Presents
|-
| 1995
| In the Bleak Midwinter
| Nancy Crawford
| Cameo appearance
|-
| 1996
| Muppet Treasure Island
| Mrs. Bluveridge
|
|-
| 1997
| Spice World
| Fashionable Woman
| Cameo appearance
|-
| 1999
| Fanny & Elvis
| Roanna
|
|-
| 2001
| Absolument Fabuleux
| Herself
| French adaptation of the series; cameo appearance
|-
| 2004
| Shrek 2
| Fairy Godmother
| Voice
|-
| 2006
| L'Entente Cordiale
| Gwendoline McFarlane
| French film
|-
| 2009
| Coraline
| Miss April Spink
| Voice
|-
| 2015
| Minions
| The Queen
| Voice
|-
| rowspan=2|2016
| Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
| Edina Monsoon
| Also writer
|-
| Sing
| Nana Noodleman
| Voice
|-
| rowspan=2|2018
| Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires
| Dr. Alex Cular
| Voice
|-
| Patrick
| Maureen
|
|-
| 2019
| Isn't It Romantic
| Natalie's mother
| Cameo appearance
|-
| 2021
| Sing 2
| Nana Noodleman
| Voice
|-
| 2022
| Death on the Nile
| Marie Van Schuyler
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2023
| Allelujah
| Sister Gilpin
|
|-
| Sumotherhood
| DI Brookes
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2024
| Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps
| Goose
| Voice
|-
| 200% Wolf
| Max
| Voice
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2026
| The Magic Faraway Tree
| Grandma Thompson
|
|-
| Virginia Woolf's Night and Day
|
| Post-production
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Programme
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1982–1984
| The Young Ones
| Helen Mucus/Sue
| 2 episodes: "Interesting" and "Time"
|-
| 1982–1998, 2011–2012
| The Comic Strip Presents...
| Various characters
| Main cast<br />30 episodes (plus 6 specials)
|-
| 1983
| The Entertainers
| rowspan="2"|Herself with Dawn French
| 1 Episode
|-
| rowspan ="2" | 1984
| Wogan
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| The Lenny Henry Show
| Various characters
| 1 episode with Dawn French
|-
| 1985
| Happy Families
| Granny Fuddle/Joyce Fuddle/Cassie Fuddle/Madeleine Fuddle/Roxanne Fuddle
| Main cast (6 episodes)
|-
| 1985–1986
| Girls on Top
| Jennifer Marsh
| 13 episodes
|-
| 1986
| Dangerous Brothers Present: World of Danger
| Anita Harris
| 1 segment , 'How to get off with a lady'
|-
| 1987–2007
| French and Saunders
| Various characters
| Main cast (48 episodes)
|-
| 1989
| Juke Box Jury
| Panelist with Dawn French
| 1 Episode
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1990
| Rita Rudner
|
| 1 Episode
|-
| The Tale of Little Pig Robinson
| Dorcas
| TV movie
|-
| Good Morning Britain
| Herself with Dawn French
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| 1990–1993
| Going Live!
| Herself
| Guest, 3 Episodes
|-
| 1991
| Clive Anderson Talks Back
| Herself with Dawn French
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| 1991–1992
| The Full Wax
| Herself
| Guest/Co Host, 4 Episodes
|-
| 1992–1996<br />2001–2004<br />2011–2012
| Absolutely Fabulous
| Edina Monsoon
| Also creator and writer<br />32 episodes (plus 7 aired specials)
|-
| 1993
| Prince Cinders
| Fairy
| Voice
|-
| 1995
| Queen of the East
| Lady Hester Stanhope
|
|-
| 1995–2006
| Jools' Annual Hootenanny
| Guest, 3 Episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1996
| Roseanne
| Edina Monsoon
| 1 episode: "Satan, Darling"
|-
| 10th Annual American Comedy Awards
| Presenter with Joanna Lumley
| Presenting 'The Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series' Award
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1997
| Light Lunch
| Herself
| Guest, 2 Episodes
|-
| Dusty: Full Circle – The Life & Music of Dusty Springfield
| Host with Dawn French
| Documentary
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1998
| Friends
| Andrea Waltham
| 2 episodes: "The One with Ross's Wedding: Part Two" and "The One After Ross Says Rachel"
|-
| Late Lunch
| Herself
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1999
| Let Them Eat Cake
| Colombine, Comtesse de Vache
| 6 episodes
|-
| The Magician's House
| The Rat
| Voice
|-
| The Nearly Complete & Utter History of Everything
| The Egg
| 1 Episode with Dawn French
|-
| Live & Kicking
| Herself
| Guest, 2 Episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2000
| Mirrorball
| Vivienne Keill
| TV pilot. Also writer
|-
| The Priory
| rowspan="2"|Herself with Dawn French
| rowspan="2"|Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| TFI Friday
|-
| 2000–2007
| Parkinson
| Herself
| Guest, 3 Episodes
|-
| 2002
| Pongwiffy
| Sharkadder
| Voice
|-
| 2004
| The Kumars at No. 42
|rowspan="2"| Herself
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| 2006
| Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy
| 3 Episodes
|-
| 2006–2009
| Jam & Jerusalem
| Caroline Martin
| Also creator & writer
|-
| 2007
| The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle
| Vivienne Vyle
| 6 episodes
|-
| 2007–2016
| Top Gear
| rowspan="5"|Herself
| Guest, 2 Episodes
|-
| 2008
| The Paul O'Grady Show
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| 2008–2016
| Loose Women
| Guest, 4 Episodes
|-
| 2008–2020
| The Graham Norton Show
| Guest, 9 Episodes
|-
| 2008–2023
| The One Show
| Guest, 6 Episodes
|-
| 2011
| Jennifer Saunders: Laughing at the 90's
| Herself/Presenter
| C4 Documentary
|-
| 2011–2014
| This is Jinsy
| Miss Reason
| 11 Episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2012
| Dead Boss
| Governor Margaret
| 6 episodes
|-
| Jennifer Saunders: Back in the Saddle
| Herself
| 2 part Documentary
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2013–2014
| Blandings
| Lady Constance Keeble
| 13 episodes
|-
| Alan Carr: Chatty Man
| rowspan="3"|Herself
| rowspan="2"|Guest, 2 Episodes
|-
| 2013–2016
| This Morning
|-
| 2013–2020
| Have I Got News for You
| Guest Presenter, 5 Episodes
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2014
| The Boy in the Dress
| Miss Windsor
| TV movie
|-
| Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast
| rowspan="4"|Herself
| Guest with Adrian Edmondson
|-
| The Jonathan Ross Show
| rowspan="2"|Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| The Last Leg
|-
| The Guess List
| Panelist, 1 Episode
|-
| rowspan="6" | 2015
| Stick Man
| Narrator
| TV movie
|-
| The Vicar of Dibley
| Reverend Jen
| Comic Relief Special
|-
| The Classic Car Show
| rowspan="4"|Herself
| 1 Episode
|-
| The Great Comic Relief Bake Off
| Contestant
|-
| Mel & Sue
| Guest, 1 Episode
|-
| A League of Their Own
| Team Member, 1 Episode
|-
| 2015–2017
| Josh
| Judith
| 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="5" | 2017
| The Simpsons
| Phoebe
| Voice, 1 episode: "Looking for Mr. Goodbart"
|-
| Grandpa's Great Escape
| Miss Dandy
| TV movie
|-
| Saturday Kitchen
| Herself
| Guest
|-
| Joanna & Jennifer: Absolutely Champers
| Herself/co-presenter
| One-off BBC Documentary, co-presented by Joanna Lumley
|-
| 300 Year of French & Saunders
| Special with Dawn French
| 30th Anniversary Special
|-
| 2018
| RHS Chelsea Flower Show
| Herself
| Presenter, 1 episode: "The A-Z of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show"
|-
| 2019
| Thunderbirds Are Go
| Helen Shelby
| Voice, 1 episode: "Deep Water"
|-
| 2019–2022
| Moominvalley
| Mymble
| Voice; 4 episodes
|-
| 2019–2021
| There's Something About Movies
| Team Captain
| Series 2–4
|-
| rowspan="4" |2020
| The Stranger
| Heidi Doyle
| Netflix mini-series
|-
| Would I Lie to You?
| rowspan="2"|Herself
| Panelist
|-
| Richard Osman's House of Games
| Contestant
|-
| Jennifer Saunders' Memory Lane
| Presenter
| One-off ITV special
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2021
| Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable
| Herself
| Guest
|-
| French & Saunders: Funny Women
| Special with Dawn French
| UK Gold Special
|-
| Best Birthday Ever
| Mother
| Voice
|-
| Ghosts
| Lavinia
| Episode: "He Came!"
|-
| 2022
| The Pentaverate
| Maester of Dubrovnik/Saester of Dubrovnik
| Netflix mini-series
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2023
| Intelligence
| Joanna Telfer-Fotheringham
| Episode: "A Special Agent Special"
|-
| imagine… French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
| Herself
| One-off documentary
|-
| rowspan="2" |2024
| The Masked Singer
| Herself
| Guest Judge (series 5)
|-
| Celebrity Gogglebox
| Herself; with Beattie Edmondson
| Series 6
Netflix mini-series
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2025
| Too Much
| Fiona
| Episode 9 : "Enough, Actually"
Netflix mini-series
|-
| Amandaland Christmas Special
| Aunt Joan
| Christmas special
|}
Writer
- 2016: Absolutely Fabulous: 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: Roseanne (1 episode, 1996)
- 1993: French and Saunders Live (V) (writer)
- 1992: Absolutely Fabulous (38 episodes, 1992–2012)
- 1991: Comic Relief (TV) (uncredited)
- 1987: French and Saunders (38 episodes, 1987–2005)
- 1986: Comic Relief (TV) (writer)
- 1984: The Comic Strip Presents... (2 episodes, 1984–1986)
- 1985: Girls on Top TV series (unknown episodes)
- 1981: The Comic Strip (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 Dawn French)
;Autobiography
- Bonkers: My Life in Laughs (Viking, 2013)
Awards and recognition
Along with Dawn French, Saunders declined an OBE in 2001.
In 2003, she was listed in The Observer 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 in July 2007. In July 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Edge Hill University.
In 2005, Saunders was named the fourth funniest woman in Britain in a poll of 4,000 women. 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 for Best Comedy Series for – Absolutely Fabulous (shared with Jon Plowman and Bob Spiers)
- 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 Dawn French
- 2012: BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Performance In a Comedy Programme – Absolutely Fabulous
Nominated
- 1993: BAFTA Television Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for – 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)
- 2026: BAFTA Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for Amandaland
See also
- List of people who have declined a British honour