Comedy icon Jennifer Saunders has shared a hilarious story about a failed drug-taking attempt with her longtime partner Dawn French, revealing an elaborate plan that ended in farcical disappointment.
The Elaborate Six-Month Plan
Saunders recounted the tale during the debut episode of The Claudia Winkleman Show, which airs on BBC One this Friday. The comedy duo, famous for their sketch show French and Saunders, once decided to be "really daring" and obtained an ecstasy tablet.
"Dawn and I once thought we'd be really daring, and we got an ecstasy tablet," Saunders revealed on the program. "It became such a matter of planning as to when we could take half an ecstasy tablet."
The Mantelpiece Wait
The pair kept the pill on French's mantelpiece for approximately six months, carefully waiting for the perfect moment when they were alone and ready for the experience. "We kept it on Dawn's mantlepiece and one day – about six months later – we thought, 'Ok, we're ready,'" Saunders explained.
After finally deciding to proceed with their long-awaited plan, they prepared water and went to retrieve the tablet, only to make a startling discovery.
The Mysterious Disappearance
"We didn't know what to expect at all and... the pill had gone!" Saunders exclaimed, describing the unexpected turn of events. She admitted the disappearance was "quite a relief" given their uncertainty about what to expect from the experience.
The comedy partners originally met at drama school in the 1970s and went on to create the beloved sketch show French and Saunders, which aired on the BBC from 1987 to 2007. Despite the show ending in 2007, they have continued collaborating on various projects including radio shows and podcasts.
Early Relationship Tensions
In a 2022 podcast appearance, French admitted she initially didn't like Saunders because she perceived her as "posh." "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," French confessed on the Finding the Funny podcast.
The Vicar of Dibley star explained she had to overcome her prejudice, saying "As soon as I got rid of my prejudice about her, which I still have to this day – prejudice against posh people, they have to prove their worth to me – I thought, 'She's actually great.'"
Comedy Partnership Evolution
The two eventually moved in together and established themselves on the alternative comedy scene alongside contemporaries like Rik Mayall, Alexei Sayle, and Adrian Edmondson, who married Saunders in 1985.
Saunders served as the inaugural guest on Claudia Winkleman's new chat show, which takes over the Friday night slot previously occupied by Graham Norton. She appeared alongside Hollywood actor Jeff Goldblum, actress Vanessa Williams, and comedian Tom Allen.
The failed drug plan story highlights the enduring partnership between French and Saunders, whose comedic chemistry has entertained audiences for decades despite their initial reservations about each other.
