Jennifer Saunders recounts trying to take drugs with Dawn French
The award-winning actresses are best known as comedy duo, French and Saunders.
Jennifer Saunders has recounted the time she and Dawn French thought they were “really daring” and tried to take drugs together.
The award-winning actresses are best known as comedy duo, French and Saunders, and became household names through their eponymous BBC sketch show, which aired from 1987 to 2005.
Speaking on BBC One’s The Claudia Winkleman Show Saunders, 67, has revealed she once “planned” to take recreational drugs with her friend of 45 years.
She said: “Dawn and I once thought we’d be really daring, and we got an ecstasy tablet.
“We thought one day when we’re alone… and it became such a matter of planning as to when we could take half an ecstasy tablet.
“We kept it on Dawn’s mantlepiece and one day – about six months later – we thought ‘okay, we’re ready’.
“We had water, we didn’t know what to expect at all and… the pill had gone. It was quite a relief. No drugs for us.”
Comedian Tom Allen, who was also among the guests to join host Winkleman on the first episode of her new show, quipped: “The dog was outside jumping up and down!”
Saunders wore an all-black ensemble with a lacy blouse, paired with layered silver necklaces with ornate cross pendants, as she appeared on the talk show.
The Bafta-winning actress has been friends with The Vicar Of Dibley star French since the pair met at drama school in the late 1970s.
Along with their sketch show, the duo have also worked together on projects including sitcom Girls On Top, their Still Alive comedy tour, and also launched a podcast together in 2020 titled French And Saunders: Titting About.
Saunders is also widely known for creating hit BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous, nicknamed Ab Fab by fans, which she also starred in alongside Dame Joanna Lumley.
The show followed PR boss Edina Monsoon (Saunders) and retired model Patsy Stone (Dame Joanna), as they attempted to relive their youth in 1960s London by chasing 1990s fads.
The Claudia Winkleman Show begins on Friday March 13 at 10.40pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
