DAME Joanna Lumley has admitted she tried to wriggle out of Absolutely Fabulous.
The actress was unsure about playing a drug-addled alcoholic, and wanted to politely decline.
Dame Joanna, now 78, eventually agreed to play Patsy Stone - and the sitcom went on to be a TV smash.
As cast stars reunited for a oneoff show, she recalled: "I rang my agent and I said 'Look, I don't think Jennifer [Saunders] wants me, but she's too polite to say anything. Do you think you can get me out of this?' And my agent said 'No, it's a pilot, just do it. It might not take off.' I nearly wasn't Patsy!" The sitcom launched in November 1992, written by and starring Jennifer.
Now a retrospective will reveal secrets from the show and take viewers on a trip down memory lane.
Ab Fab centres on heavy-drinking publicity mogul Edina Monsoon (Jennifer), who spends her time failing to lose weight and chasing bizarre fads in a desperate bid to stay young.
This story is from the October 08, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 08, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hands-on Arteta already planning for the next era
MIKEL ARTETA celebrates his 250th game in charge of Arsenal today - and has already mapped out the future with the Gunners hierarchy.
Unai said: Until you can prove yourself you're a Championship player in my eyes
TOUGH love has transformed Morgan Rogers into a Premier League thoroughbred.
No place like a prize home for Omaze winner
ECSTATIC Sarah Perry has won a £500,000 home near her Powys roots in an Omaze draw and given her husband the shock of his life.
Back beside the seaside 52 years on
FUN-LOVING pals reshot a snap from their first holiday together - 52 years ago.
'Harshita, you left this world but are still in our hearts'
Family's tribute to body-in-boot wife
Factory farming costs taxpayer £1bn a year
THE factory farming of animals costs taxpayers almost £1billion a year, a study has found.
'Our beautiful one-of-a-kind Simone had a spark for life'
THE parents of a British lawyer who died after allegedly being served drinks laced with methanol in Laos say they are \"devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter\".
Strictly Sarah: I didn't believe I could do lifts ...but look at me now
NEWLY confident Sarah Hadland has ditched her panic about bare legs, fake tans and doing ballroom lifts to become a firm favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing.
Down thunder! Aussie TV camp soaked
THE I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! camp has been battered by torrential rain, which could lead to the contestants being evacuated.
300 jabs a minute to event tripledemic’
AN NHS vaccination blitz is delivering more than 300 jabs a minute to tackle a deadly \"tripledemic\" of flu, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus.