Dawn French 'didn't really like' Jennifer Saunders when they met because she was 'posh'

Julia Hunt
LONDON - NOVEMBER 9: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK TABLOID NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 48 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French attend the final UK performance of French & Saunders'
Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French are now close friends. (Dave M. Benett/Getty Images) (Dave M. Benett via Getty Images)

Dawn French has revealed that when she first met her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders she wasn’t that keen on her because she was “posh”.

The French And Saunders pair met when they shared a flat while they were at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London in the 70s and French confessed she had to get past her “prejudice against posh people”.

Speaking on the Finding The Funny podcast, she said: “I didn’t really like Jen that much at the very beginning because she’s quite posh, or I thought she was but she’s not really. But I thought she was and she already had a whole friendship group of very beautiful, way out of my league people, or so I thought."

Read more: Jennifer Saunders turned down OBE so as not to make 'mockery' of honour

She went on: “As soon as I got rid of my prejudice about her, which I still have to this day – prejudice against posh people, I have to get past it, they have to sort of prove their worth to me, posh people – as soon as I got past that I thought, ‘She is actually great’.

EDITORIAL USE ONLY Dawn French during the filming for the Graham Norton Show at BBC Studioworks 6 Television Centre, Wood Lane, London, to be aired on BBC One on Friday evening. Picture date: Wednesday February 16, 2022.
Dawn French thought Jennifer Saunders was 'posh' when they met. (PA) (PA)

"And we just were children together.

"We just enjoyed showing off for each other, and we... sort of in love really."

The pair went on to become close friends and forged a comedy career together in the 80s.

Their sketch show French And Saunders was launched in 1987 and went on until 2005.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 07: Jennifer Saunders (L), winner of the Outstanding Contribution award, and Dawn French attend the Glamour Women Of The Year Awards in Berkeley Square Gardens on June 7, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The pair are known for their hit sketch show. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images) (David M. Benett via Getty Images)

As well as the award-winning series, Saunders starred with Joanna Lumley in long-running sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, while French has her own hit sitcom The Vicar Of Dibley.

Read more: Dawn French has regained weight and doesn't care

The comedians worked together again on BBC sitcom Jam & Jerusalem, which aired from 2006 to 2009, and French made an appearance in the Absolutely Fabulous movie in 2016.

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