Dawn French declares end of iconic BBC sketch show French and Saunders after 30 years
AFTER 30 years of making us laugh Dawn French believes now is the right time to wave goodbye to French And Saunders.
The 60-year-old filmed 30 Years Of French And Saunders with comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, 59 – to be aired on Christmas Day – in front of a studio audience last month.
While the pair’s neverdwindling popularity was perfectly emphasised by 35,000 people applying for the 350 places in the audience,
Dawn still feels it is the perfect opportunity to bring down the curtain.
“It is where I am anchored but it is not something we should be doing that often because they are a young person’s game, sketch shows,” she tells Radio Times.
“They are exhausting and we can’t play teenagers any more.”
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However the national treasures are going out with a bang to honour their show, which ran from 1987 to 2004.
A host of famous faces including Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson and Jennifer’s Absolutely Fabulous co-star Joanna Lumley join them on the special, which is said to include the pair’s greatest skits, never-before-seen footage as well as new sketches.
However Dawn is still keen to work alongside close pal Jen in the future.
“I think she would be up for co-writing a film. And I just want to have time with her.
"Sometimes working with her is how we get time together.”
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This will be the 18th year of these concerts for the charity. It’s going to be a very special night.
Teenage Cancer Trust headliners announced
THE first two headliners for the annual Teenage Cancer Trust gigs have been announced.
The Courteeners and Kasabian will be taking to the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 23 and March 24 respectively.
Manchester’s Courteeners, who recently played the One Love Manchester concert and have previously supported Noel Gallagher, are on Friday night while Leicester’s Kasabian, left, will return to the TCT stage for the fourth time on the Saturday.
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Since 2000 more than 235 artists including Ed Sheeran, Eric Clapton, Robert Plant and Sir Tom Jones have played raising more than £27million for young people with cancer.
The brainchild behind the Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall is The Who’s Roger Daltrey who says: “This will be the 18th year of these concerts for the charity.
"It’s going to be a very special night.”
Tickets go on sale at 9am on December 15.
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Rossi's status is unwell in Germany
STATUS QUO have apologised to fans for cancelling a gig in Berlin last night after singer Francis Rossi, 68, fell ill.
“He has picked up a chest infection that has left him incapacitated and unable to sing,” says a statement.
“He is receiving medical attention in Germany and left it to the last possible moment to cancel in the hope that he would be able to recover enough to perform but unfortunately that was not the case.”
Status Quo’s manager Simon Porter added: “We hate to have to cancel shows and hope that the fans realise that these situations are outside of our control.”
Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt died last year at the age of 68 after developing an infection following a heart attack.
Holly's Christmas wish
HOLLY WILLOUGHBY is the latest celebrity wanting to release music at this time of year.
Unfortunately for her, however, This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield represents a stumbling block.
“I may not be the best singer but I’d love to do a Christmas single. I’ve asked the question many a time,” the 36-yearold tells online music TV show Red Stripe Presents: This Feeling TV.
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“I’ve said to Phillip that we should do a duet but he’s not having any of it.
“If he were to we could do Deck The Halls, then we could sing, ‘Deck the halls with boughs of Holly, la la la la la la la la la.’”
Don’t be such a Scrooge, Phillip.
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Hollywood's dream table
PAUL HOLLYWOOD must thrive on pressure because when asked if he had the chance to bake for anyone dead or alive he picks the frontman from one of the world’s biggest bands and one of the world’s greatest ever Formula One drivers.
“Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. He’s the hero,” says the 51-year-old, who is appearing in Channel 4 series A Baker’s Life, when quizzed on who he’d most like to bake for.
“I’d also love to have baked for Ayrton Senna,” he adds.
“I had about 15 seconds of time with him at Silverstone in 1993. His car broke down and he came over to the fence and I was the only one there.
I said, ‘Unlucky Ayrton.’
He took off his helmet and replied, ‘What do you think it was? Fuel?’”
Not a soggy bottom, then?
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Amanda's staying home, again
AMANDA HOLDEN is still shunning Simon Cowell’s invitation for festive fun under the Barbados sun.
Every year he offers her a chance to join him, his family and a harem of ladies at his island retreat but she always gives him the brush-off.
“I will not go to Barbados with Simon. I’ll go to the Cotswolds.
"I like being cold at Christmas and having a glass of red wine by the fire and a box set,” the 46-year-old BGT judge tells Day & Night.
While the snub continues, at least her tone has softened.
When we asked Amanda in 2016 if her yuletide plans included Simon’s notorious annual New Year’s Eve party at Sandy Lane resort, she recoiled: “Hell no! I can’t think of anything worse.”
Is the invitation transferable, Simon?
