The Ab Fab stars did something pretty embarrassing in front of Whoopi Goldberg
As the Ab Fab film’s release date looms, the stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley have spoken out about their gay fanbase.
Speaking to V Magazine, they reflected on the “offensive” nature of the hit series.
Saunders jokes: “We tried very hard,” to offend.
“But [gay people] refused to be offended – and I admire them for that. Thank God you’re hanging on in there.”
Lumley adds to that there are a load of gay references throughout the series.
“You go back and pick through it, the amount of gay references and ease with which it’s been put into the story, without it being dragged along like a great log of plot.
“It’s really normal that one of [Edina’s] ex-husbands now lives with his young boyfriend. It’s completely normal that [Edina] wants Saffy to be a lesbian or that Serge is gay and living in New York. It’s completely normal that Patsy is transgender.”
Speaking of an award they received at New York Pride, Saunders says: “We went in with the idea that it was going to be this great camp affair,” adding that they turned up in “Edina and Patsy drag.”
She adds: “Whoopi Goldberg came on to give our award, and we went ‘Oh no, we’ve totally misjudged this whole thing’. At which point, as more people were crying and our moment was arriving, Joanna leaned over to me and said, ‘I think we should’ve made a speech.’”
But the pair simply jumped onto the stage, in character, saying: “Cheers, thanks a lot.”
The trailer for the eagerly-anticipated Ab Fab movie, released last month, sees ageing fashionistas on the run after Eddie accidentally knocks Kate Moss into the Thames.
The hapless PR guru does so while trying to sign up the legendary model to her agency.
After becoming a national hate figure, Eddie, aided by sidekick Patsy, escape for a new life in the South of France, where they pursue a life of luxury – and cause their usual mayhem.
Moss is just one of countless famous faces set to appear in the upcoming big screen outing, after it was recently announced that a whopping sixty celebrities – including Joan Collins, Dame Edna Everage and Graham Norton – will make cameos.
Original cast members Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks and June Whitfield also make their return.
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie opens in UK cinemas on July 1.
