Why I wanted to quit Ab Fab: Fake boobs, a big thumbs-down from the BBC and a bombshell from Joanna Lumley... crack open the Bolly as the cast reunite to share their secrets

Patsy Stone was a career-defining role for Joanna Lumley. While making the pilot episode in 1991 Joanna was unnerved and unhappy acting opposite Jennifer Saunders, who created the show and starred as PR guru Edina ‘Eddy’ Monsoon. ‘She said, “Jennifer’s written a pilot for a series,” and sent me what became the first script of episode one,’ he recalls. ‘She’d go, “Better line here”, and, “Something here”, and she’d come up with them, or write six alternatives.’ Jennifer and Joanna became great mates during their time as co-stars Gold has reunited the pair for Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out, a two-hour tribute to the ground-breaking sitcom In fact it was Ruby who was responsible for getting Joanna to play Patsy. He said, “I have never found women being drunk very funny.” I thought, “That’s it, it’s over”.’ Jennifer was notoriously late with Ab Fab scripts and that proved daunting for the other actors.