Jennifer Saunders reveals why she TURNED DOWN Celebrity Traitors and admits her public image is very different from her private persona:  ‘People don’t really know who I am…’

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Jennifer Saunders has revealed why she turned down the chance to be on Celebrity Traitors.

Joanna Lumley, 67, revealed she was asked to be on a TV show that featured Alan Carr, Cat Burns, and Jonathan Ross this year, but she declined.

The show was incredibly popular, drawing millions of viewers each night who eagerly watched to see which characters would be exiled or killed off.

She told The Times she declined the offer because she knew she wouldn’t be able to enjoy watching the show if she had been involved. She was really eager to be a viewer!

She also said she has no interest in appearing on shows like Strictly Come Dancing or I’m A Celebrity, and she doesn’t think she’d do well on The Traitors either.

Jennifer admitted she has a hard time hiding her feelings, whether she’s embarrassed or excited.

I’m generally good at understanding what others are feeling. I can quickly pick up on their emotions – I immediately sense when someone is angry, scared, or experiencing any other strong feeling.

She explained in the interview that the person people see in public isn’t really who she is privately, adding, ‘People don’t truly know me.’

Although appearing on Celebrity Traitors could have shown viewers more of her true self, she explained that people frequently mistake her for being grumpy or abrupt, when in reality, she’s not like that at all.

You know, people often tell me I come across as a bit intimidating, which always surprises me! It turns out I’ve just always had a very neutral expression – even as a child, I apparently didn’t show a lot of emotion on my face. It’s just how I naturally look, I guess!

I was so excited to see Jennifer and Joanna Lumley back together! They reunited at the Burberry show in Kensington Gardens back in September, and it was the perfect way to wrap up London Fashion Week – a really lovely celebration of British style and memories.

The actresses were seen alongside celebrities like Elton John and Naomi Campbell in a highly visible front-row seat, a glamorous display that would have appealed to those obsessed with fame and luxury.

Jennifer and Joanna chose to keep their characters’ style simple and timeless, wearing classic Burberry trench coats and accessories with the brand’s iconic check pattern instead of anything too flashy.

Paying homage to their popular show from the nineties, the pair were seated near model Twiggy, who famously played herself in a couple of episodes.

Twiggy looked stunning in a stylish black suit and tie while posing for pictures with her close friends inside the VIP tent. The three were later seen laughing together from their seats in the front row.

Oh my gosh, it’s been nine years since I last saw Eddie and Patsy causing chaos on my screen! And honestly, the creator, Jennifer, kept saying there would never be a revival after that movie in 2016. I thought that was it, truly the end! It’s just… heartbreaking, you know?

Last year, Gold television channel broadcast a special two-hour show celebrating the iconic sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. The program, called Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out, featured Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley reminiscing and sharing stories from behind the scenes of the show, which originally aired over six seasons from 1992 to 2012.

Absolutely Fabulous started as a sketch on French & Saunders, featuring Jennifer Saunders as a character similar to Eddie, named Adrianna, and Dawn French playing her uptight, bookish daughter.

After Dawn adopted her daughter and couldn’t continue with the French & Saunders series, Jennifer decided to develop one of their sketches into a full-fledged sitcom.

Jennifer had previously only written short comedy sketches with Dawn for their show, but her friend Ruby Wax helped her refine the scripts this time around.

Ruby was the one who recommended Joanna for a party being thrown by Patsy Stone, a former model and fashion director who had struggled with alcohol.

Ruby remembered once telling an actress she’d seen in a play, ‘You’d be perfect for a comedy.’ The actress was delighted because her career was really struggling – she openly admitted it was at a low point. Ruby then cast her in her show, and later, when discussing the show ‘Ab Fab’ with Jennifer, she realized, ‘I’ve found Patsy!”

Honestly, I always felt there was tension behind the scenes of the early ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ days. I heard Joanna Lumley wasn’t thrilled when they were filming the pilot in 1991. Apparently, she was really frustrated with both Jennifer Saunders’ writing for Patsy and Jennifer herself – her behavior on set was a bit much, from what I understand.

You know, when I first got the script, I was a little puzzled about the character of Patsy. There just wasn’t much written about what she was like as a person, so I felt a bit in the dark! I shared this with Weekend Magazine last year – it was a real challenge trying to build her from so little information.

Jennifer wasn’t very open with her feelings back then, and she didn’t let on anything was wrong, except that she seemed increasingly unhappy and irritated whenever I spoke.

I immediately felt like the audition had gone terribly. I couldn’t read what the director, Jennifer, was thinking, and she didn’t seem to be giving me any clear direction. I called my agent, worried that she didn’t want me for the part but was being too nice to say so. I asked if my agent could help me get out of the audition. My agent encouraged me to just go through with it, explaining it was only a pilot and might not even get made. It’s funny to think I almost didn’t get the role of Patsy!

Jennifer acknowledged the situation, saying, ‘We were strangers at the time, and it was difficult. I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for.’

A further problem arose when a comedy executive at the BBC stated he didn’t think it was humorous to portray women who were intoxicated.

In a documentary last year, the show’s producer, John Plowman, explained that after filming the pilot episode, he asked Robin Nash, who was the head of comedy at the time, for her opinion.

He mentioned he didn’t think it was funny when women got drunk, and I immediately knew that was the end of things for us.

We performed the show in the evening, and the audience was fantastic. The most memorable moment for me was after the show when comedian Ben Elton told me, ‘I’ve just seen the future of comedy, and it’s right there.’

Absolutely Fabulous was a hit TV show that aired for five seasons, from 1992 to 2003, and also had a movie. It was known for featuring many famous guest stars.

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2025-11-30 14:49