Lesley Joseph

Lesley Diana Joseph[1][2] (born 14 October 1945)[3] is an English actress and broadcaster, best known for playing Dorien Green in the television sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2014 onwards. Other television credits include Absurd Person Singular (1985) and Night and Day (2001–2003).

Lesley Joseph
Joseph in Cardiff, Wales, May 2011
Born
Lesley Diana Joseph

(1945-10-14) 14 October 1945
OccupationBroadcaster, actress
Years active1969–present
Height5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
TelevisionBirds of a Feather
Children2

Her stage roles include UK touring productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie (2005), Calendar Girls (2011) and Annie (2015). In 2018, she was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, for the original West End production of Young Frankenstein.

Early life

Joseph was born in Hackney, east London and grew up in Kingsthorpe, Northampton. She attended Northampton School for Girls.[4] Joseph's mother, Rebecca Mundy (née Maccoby), was born in May 1912 and died in March 2016, aged 103.[5][6]

Career

Stage

In May 1973, Joseph appeared in Godspell at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth.[7]

Joseph starred in Cinderella at Theatre Royal, Plymouth in 2008 and the Orchard Theatre in Dartford in 2009,[8] and starred as Myra Wilson in the UK Tour of Hot Flush!. In 2014, Hot Flush! embarked on its third UK tour.

From 4 December 2010 to 22 January 2011, she appeared at The Grand Opera House, Belfast as the Wicked Queen in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

In the summer of 2011, Joseph appeared as Chris in the stage show Calendar Girls, based on the film of the same name.

In 2014/15, she appeared at the Theatre Royal Nottingham as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

In 2015, she appeared as Miss Hannigan in the stage production of Annie at certain venues, sharing the role with Jodie Prenger and Elaine C Smith she also starred as the fairy godmother in Cinderella at the cliffs pavilion (Southend on sea). In 2016/17, she starred in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth. Joseph then portrayed Frau Blucher in the West End production of Young Frankenstein.[9]

Birds of a Feather

From 1989 to 1998, Joseph played Dorien Green in the sitcom Birds of a Feather which, at the time, aired on the BBC

In December 2011, it was confirmed that Joseph would reunite with fellow Birds of a Feather cast members, Linda Robson and Pauline Quirke, for a theatre adaptation of the series. The trio toured the United Kingdom from May to July 2012.

A new series of Birds of a Feather was filmed after the rights had been acquired by ITV. The new series began airing on 2 January 2014 for eight episodes. In March, it was confirmed that a second series had been ordered which began airing in December. Following this, a third series was commissioned,[10] and aired in early 2016. It is unknown when recording will begin for a fourth series, and when it will air but Joseph stated in an interview that it will not be this year due to her busy work schedule but it's possible that it could return at a later point.

To celebrate the return of Birds of a Feather, Joseph, Quirke and Robson appeared as guest panellists on Loose Women on 16 January 2014.

Further TV work

Joseph starred in the ITV soap Night and Day from 2001 to 2003 playing the show's resident bitch, Rachel Culgrin. In 2002, Joseph appeared on a special edition of What Not to Wear, where she was given a makeover by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine. In 2004, she starred in The Vagina Monologues opposite Linda Robson and Mica Paris.[11]

Since 2009, she has been a regular newspaper reviewer on This Morning. She appeared in the 2014 series Secrets of the Asylum, a two-part series for ITV. In 2015, Joseph took part in ITV's celebrity sheep herding series Flockstars, beginning on 30 July.[12]

In 2014, Joseph appeared with Forrest Dunbar on ITV2's Freshers: A Year On. She makes frequent appearances on Channel 5's Big Brother's Bit on the Side.

On 22 August 2016, it was announced that Joseph would take part in the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Anton du Beke. In their first week, the couple scored 23 points for their waltz to "What'll I Do", in week two, 26 for their cha-cha-cha to "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps", in week three, 27 for their quickstep for "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade and in week four, 31 for their Charleston to "Won't You Charleston with Me?" from The Boy Friend. The couple left the series in week five, after scoring 24 for their tango to "Whatever Lola Wants".

She was one of the four competitors who appeared in the special Christmas edition of The Great British Sewing Bee that was transmitted on New Year's Eve 2020 on BBC 1. Her fellow competitors in the programme were Sabrina Grant, Sally Phillips and The Vivienne.

Radio

Joseph began a radio show in 2008 on BBC London 94.9 with Christopher Biggins, airing every Sunday between 9 am to 12 noon. Biggins left the show after a few months, but Joseph has continued to host. She also stands in for Vanessa Feltz on her weekday morning talk when Feltz is on holiday.

Personal life

Joseph is Jewish.[13] She supports Tottenham Hotspur and lives in Hampstead, northwest London. She has two children: a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Screen and stage credits

Television
Year Title Role
1969 The Bastard King Catherine of Braganza
1974 Another Mother Makes Five Gypsy woman
1975 Sadie, It's Cold Outside Cashier
1979 The Knowledge Val
1980 Minder Maureen
1981 Roots Melanie Goldblatt
1983 Number 10 Rose Rosenburg
1985 Summer Season
Absurd Person Singular Lottie Potter
1987 First Sight Pippa
1988 Lea Girls Shop assistant
1989 Ruth Rendell Mysteries Rose Farriner's neighbour
1989–1998, 2014–present Birds of a Feather Dorien Green
1995 Rumble Ma Pecs
1996 Spywatch Miss Millington
1998 Macbeth Witch
2001–2003 Night and Day Rachel Culgrin
2005 Lost Dogs Maria-Carmen Todd
2006 The Secret of Eel Island Green Beryl
2006–2009, 2014 Loose Women Guest panellist
2007 Kings of 70s Romance Narrator
2008 The Slammer Erica, the critic
2009 Scoop Receptionist/Mrs Green
2009–2014 This Morning Newspaper reviewer
2011 Little Crackers Wardrobe mistress
2014 Secrets from the Asylum Contributor
2015 Flockstars Participant
2016 Strictly Come Dancing Participant
2017 Celebrity 5 Go Motorhoming Participant
Guest appearances
Stage
Year Title Role Location
1973 Godspell Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
2005 Thoroughly Modern Millie Mrs Meers UK Tour
2008 Cinderella Theatre Royal, Plymouth
2009 Cinderella Orchard Theatre, Dartford
2010–11 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen The Grand Opera House
2011 Calendar Girls Chris UK tour
2014 Hot Flush! Myra Wilson UK tour
2014–15 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Nottingham
2015 Annie Miss Hannigan UK tour
2016–17 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Plymouth
2017–18 Young Frankenstein Frau Blucher Theatre Royal, Newcastle, Garrick Theatre

References

  1. company check ltd. "LESLEY DIANA JOSEPH director information. Free director information". company-director-check.co.uk. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  2. Rubinstein, W.D.; Jolles, M.; Rubinstein, H.L. (2011). The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo-Jewish History. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 491. ISBN 9781403939104. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  3. age 72
  4. BBC. "A 'homecoming' for Lesley Joseph". Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  5. "Birds of A Feather: "Ageing? Pah! There'll be no botox or surgery for us" – Mirror Online". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  6. Pryer, Emma (8 October 2016). "Strictly's Lesley Joseph reveals her amazing weight loss since joining hit show". Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  7. https://www.theatrememorabilia.co.uk/brighton-theatre-royal-godspell-1972-jess-conrad-p-2131?cPath=5
  8. "Page Not Found – 404 Error". Retrieved 7 January 2017. Cite uses generic title (help)
  9. Cole, Emily (21 April 2017). "Hadley Fraser, Summer Strallen & More to Star in London's Young Frankenstein". Broadway.com. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  10. "Birds of a Feather renewed for series 12". 12 March 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  11. "The Vagina Monologues – coming soon". BBC. 11 August 2004. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  12. "Flock Stars: Lesley to fleece 'em in Britain's search for our best shepherd". 27 April 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  13. "How We Met: Maureen Lipman & Lesley Joseph – Profiles – People". The Independent. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  14. "Pat Sharp teams with Dave Benson-Phillips for Pointless Celebrities – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  15. "The Chase: Celebrity Special Episode 13 | presscentre". itv.com. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  16. "Mel & Sue | Series 1 – Episode 3 | Radio Times". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
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