Joanna Lumley

The friend of the title is Joanna Lumley, as David Walliams accesses his inner Two Ronnies to generally profitable effect. There's a product-placement skit worthy of Ronnies Barker and Corbett, as well as Oscar Wilde as a lewd northern comedian, a team of Joanna Lumley lookalikes, a Bake Off pastiche and much, much more. Better than you might expect.

Radio Times review

The "Friend" is Joanna Lumley, who accompanies David Walliams through an inevitably uneven, but more-winners-than-losers sketch show. There's a disturbing pastiche of The Great British Bake Off with Paul Hollywood (Walliams, alarming with hedgehog hair) and Mary Berry (Lumley) unable to conceal their lust for one another.

In what feels like an updating of Ronnie Barker's classic Mispronunciation Sketch, Walliams is a party guest who invented autocorrect, and he drags up to play a passive-aggressive, glowing orange tanning salon receptionist. But maybe you'll prefer his Oscar Wilde, or the businessman dad who gives his little daughter a bedtime story in bullet points.

Joanna Lumley & Jennifer Saunders at fashion awards

They've been busy filming Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie over the past few months. And Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders clearly can't get enough of reprising their iconic roles for the big screen adaptation of the popular sitcom since they showed up at The 2015 British Fashion Awards in character as Patsy Stone and Edina Monsoon.

Joanna Lumley joined by The Krankies on Ab Fab film

Joanna Lumley went hand-in-hand with Scottish comedian Janette Tough, who is famed for playing Wee Jimmy Krankie and has previously popped up in the sitcom.

Filming pictures: Ab Fab stars visit Kate Moss grave

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, in their Absolutely Fabulous guises as Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, make a trek to supermodel and popular culture icon Kate Moss' shrine on the Thames.

Jeremy Lloyd died penniless, documents reveal

The successful screenwriter and actor who was once married to Joanna Lumley left a net estate of nil after his outstanding affairs were settled.

Absolutely Fabulous movie debuts first look picture

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley's iconic characters as are back so expect plenty of empty wine bottles and shenanigans on the big screen.

Joanna Lumley spotted shooting Ab Fab movie scenes

As chain-smoking, work-shy fashionista Patsy Stone, Joanna Lumley dons a black suit while driving a vintage Rolls-Royce convertible alongside a bride.

The five things we want from the Ab Fab film

With Joanna Lumley revealing yesterday that the long-awaited Absolutely Fabulous film will start shooting this October, there was a buzz here at Attitude HQ: It's ACTUALLY HAPPENING. But wait - will it be good? What do we want from an Ab Fab movie?