Pass the Bolly, darling!
Joanna Lumley is set to join an esteemed list of names on May 14 when she is awarded BAFTA’s highest honor.
The near-legendary (and BAFTA-winning) star of shows such as Absolutely Fabulous and The New Avengers across a career spanning four decades will receive the BAFTA Fellowship at the Virgin TV British Academy Television Awards.
Others to have accepted the award in honor of their television work include Lumley’s longtime collaborator Jennifer Saunders, plus Dawn French, Michael Palin, David Attenborough and Julie Walters.
“From high-kicking her way into our hearts as Purdey in The New Avengers to showcasing her enviable comedic credentials with her portrayal of Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, Joanna Lumley is a true icon of television, and so I am truly delighted that BAFTA will be honoring her with the Fellowship this year, the highest honor that the Academy bestows,” said BAFTA chair Jane Lush.
“Nothing could make me prouder or happier than being awarded this phenomenal honor,” added Lumley. “To be counted amongst the greatest talents and stars of our industry is an awesome gift: the BAFTA Fellowship is the grandest and most unexpected prize I have ever had the joy of receiving.”
Last year saw Lumley reprise her role as Patsy Stone for the big-screen Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.
The BAFTA TV Awards are set to take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
