Lesley Joseph talks Birds of a Feather friendships and taking on new challenges at 78
Lesley Joseph has been a firm favourite on our TV screens ever since she first appeared as Dorien Green on the much-loved sitcom Birds of a Feather back in the Eighties.
The series not only made household names of Lesley and co-stars Linda Robson and Pauline Quirke, but cemented firm, real-life friendships that have lasted through the years.
In fact, Linda recently revealed that she turned to Lesley for support when her 33-year marriage to Mark Dunford broke down earlier this year.
Here Lesley, who shows no signs of slowing down at 78, chats to us about her strong friendship with Linda, the roles she’d love to tackle, and why pantomime is always her top priority (oh, yes it is!)
We heard the recent news about Linda splitting with her husband – how is she doing?
She’s fine, she’s a great character. I see quite a lot of her and she’s a great mate.
We have to ask, are there any new plans for a Birds of a Feather revival?
I don’t think so. I don’t really want to do any more because I’m in my 70s and there’s an awful lot of work I want to do now. I really want to get back to some serious theatre. I’d love to do a play at The National, I’d love to do Shakespeare, all the things that I started with. But I don’t know when I’ll get time to do it, I’m booked up until summer with [musical] Sister Act and then I want to explore something new. Things go in and out of fashion but Shakespeare is what I did when I came out of drama school so I want to get back into that.
Do you have any traditions with your panto cast?
Sometimes we decorate our dressing rooms and get prizes for who decorates theirs the best. We always do Secret Santa too, everyone in the theatre, and we swap them on Boxing Day or between shows – meeting on the stage and swapping gifts.
What’s your favourite festive food?
I love mince pies, I try not to eat too many because I have to get into a tight costume! I remember when my parents were alive we used to have to hide a sixpence in the Christmas pudding, then you set fire to it and always tried to cut around the pudding so you’re the one with the sixpence. That was a really important Christmas tradition but we don’t do it any more. Having a sixpence just shows how old Iam (laughs).
And what do you like to drink to see in the new year?
My tipple of choice is always prosecco or Champagne. I’m not very good at drinking spirits – whisky or gin, it’s bad for my voice. One thing I will have is port, that’s something that aids the voice and doesn’t go against it. Port and lemonade. But I don’t drink a
