{"id":216078,"date":"2025-10-21T18:59:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T18:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/216078\/"},"modified":"2025-10-21T18:59:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T18:59:09","slug":"absolutely-fabulous-legends-reunite-for-first-time-in-10-years-for-bbc-christmas-special","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/216078\/","title":{"rendered":"Absolutely Fabulous legends reunite for first time in 10 years for BBC Christmas special"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders, best known as Ab Fab’s Patsy and Edina, will be brought together for a festive special in which they play sisters<\/p>\n

18:00, 21 Oct 2025Updated 19:20, 21 Oct 2025<\/p>\n

\"JenniferJennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley are two of the country’s best-loved stars(Image: UKTV)<\/p>\n

The Amandaland Christmas special is to be an Absolutely Fabulous<\/a> reunion with Jennifer Saunders <\/a>cast as the sister of Joanna Lumley\u2019s character. The Mirror<\/a> revealed in January that the hit comedy, starring Lucy Punch<\/a> in the title role, would get its own festive outing this year.<\/p>\n

Yesterday BBC<\/a> bosses revealed that Saunders will play Aunt Joan, the enthusiastic, country-living, upper-class sister of Lumley\u2019s character Felicity.<\/p>\n

With Joan said to be \u201cvery different\u201d from Felicity, Saunders said: \u201cI am delighted to be joining the fabulous Amandaland gang for a Christmas<\/a> special. Playing Joanna\u2019s on-screen sister is guaranteed to be a laugh, who doesn\u2019t love a family reunion SoHa style.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Strictly’s Stefan Dennis banned from returning to Australia in fresh injury blow<\/a>READ MORE: Tom Jones says suffering wife was not in good place – ‘I feel partly responsible’<\/a>\"PortraitDame Lumley is best known for her role in ‘Absolutely Fabulous’<\/p>\n

This special episode will be the first scripted on-screen reunion for Jennifer and Joanna since the Absolutely Fabulous film in 2016.<\/p>\n

The second series of Amandaland, which also stars Philippa Dunne as Amanda\u2019s long-suffering South Harlesden friend Anne, is returning to BBC1<\/a> next year.<\/p>\n

Co-writers Holly Walsh and Laurence Rickard said: \u201cIt\u2019s an absolute joy to be back in SoHa again. After six months of researching Brent Council\u2019s fly tipping rules, attempting Anne\u2019s Irish accent and writing the odd bit of script, we\u2019re so excited to get filming with our amazing cast. We’re thrilled to bits to have a Christmas special and Jennifer Saunders is the perfect addition to the gang.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LucyLucy Punch has announced the second series of Amandaland<\/p>\n

The first run series pulled in 5.7 million viewers to date, with the first episode attracting 7.4million, making it the BBC\u2019s second biggest new comedy launch in recent years, behind Ludwig, which got 11.4milion.<\/p>\n

Leading lady Lucy said: \u201cI\u2019m beyond excited to get started on Amandaland series two with our brilliantly talented lovely cast. The Christmas special is going to be an absolute cracker \u2013 it\u2019s like totes fire, with all the festive feels, for reals. Slay bells!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Mirror reported in January that the show could be given a Christmas Day slot, after proving such a hit.<\/p>\n

In the sitcom Amanda and her two children have been forced to leave leafy Chiswick for a flat in grittier South Harlesden – which she calls SoHa – after her divorce.<\/p>\n

Asked if there would be a Christmas special, writer Walsh beamed while admitting: \u201cI\u2019m not allowed to say.\u201d She added that Amanda would \u201cprobably have three Christmas trees\u201d.<\/p>\n

And one insider revealed: \u201cAmandaland is so funny, this could be the new jewel in the crown of the Christmas schedule. Everyone is thrilled. But it\u2019s top secret.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joanna Lumley said she was delighted to be back as one of the main characters in the spin-off, having had a minor role as disapproving Felicity in BBC1\u2019s Bafta-winning Motherland. \u201cThis was magic to be part of it, to be in every episode. I think she’s so selfish and self-regarding. I just adore her,\u201d she said, adding that she only gets offered roles as baddies these days. \u201cIt’s written into my contract now – I must be mean. I\u2019m always cast as horrid, savage old grannies and mothers, and wizened, cruel aunts. I don’t know why it is, because I’m a sunny character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucy said that while she was quite different to her character Amanda, she does have her trait of eternal optimism. \u201cAmanda has this sort of teenage hopefulness bordering on delusion that I share,\u201d she explained. \u201cI don’t think, in all my years, I\u2019ve ever had an audition for a job, whatever it is, that I haven’t been convinced I was going to get.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd even when I’ve done a terrible audition, or they’re just not interested, I dust myself off and then go, \u2018Get me at the next one.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

In the last series, Amanda found brief romance with Johannes, a South African property developer played by Peter Serafinowicz and fans are now hoping she gets together with her dishy downstairs neighbour Mal (Samuel Anderson).<\/p>\n

Walsh said: \u201cI think there’s a sort of nice little simmering thing going on with Mal. They have a kind of Sam and Diane thing going on from Cheers, where they hate each other but there’s slightly something underneath that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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