The Stage

Lumley will not reprise role in BBC’s Jam and Jerusalem

Published Friday 26 October 2007 at 12:40 by Matthew Hemley

Joanna Lumley has revealed she will not be reprising her role as Delilah in Jennifer Saunders’ Jam and Jerusalem when the BBC show returns next year, but has said she is likely to work with the comedian again on a one-off special of Absolutely Fabulous.

Speaking exclusively to The Stage, ahead of hosting ITV’s Happy Birthday Bafta celebrations this Sunday in London, Lumley said: “Delilah is not in the second series. I have stepped back from it, not for any reason other than it was gorgeous and going along fine and maybe she will come another time.”

However, speaking about the chances of another Absolutely Fabulous, she said: “Because we shot right forward into the future in the last Absolutely Fabulous you could almost pick the characters up at any time in their lives. I suspect they have not gone away completely, maybe there will be a special somewhere. It’s a known thing that maybe one day they will lurch out of the boxes again. They are fun to be.”

Lumley also said she was looking to work with theatre director Jonathan Miller again following her appearance in his production of The Cherry Orchard in Sheffield earlier this year.

She said Miller was busy working on a production of Hamlet to be staged in Bristol next year, but added they were both looking for plays that they could do together in the near future.