Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders Are Doing Panto Together — and It Sounds Absolutely Filthy

Picture this: Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders on the London Palladium stage, side by side, in full Ugly Sisters regalia. If that image alone doesn't make your day, wait until you hear who's playing the Fairy Godmother.

Dawn, 68, has confirmed she and her comedy soulmate Jennifer Saunders will star together in Cinderella at the London Palladium this Christmas — and she's already flagging it as the cheekiest project of her career.

"It will be naughtier than anything I've ever done," Dawn told Good Housekeeping UK. And the reason? Julian Clary is on board as the Fairy Godmother.

The pair are also reportedly in talks to take their beloved Titting About podcast on a live tour. Dawn says she's "definitely persuadable" — which, from a woman who's just discovered the power of saying no, is basically a yes.

Age, Dawn says, has been quietly liberating. At 68, she's done with people-pleasing, and she's not apologising for it.

"You learn to say no — and you really need to say no," she said. "You don't have to people-please quite so much any more." Honestly? She's an icon for that alone.

In between panto rehearsals, Dawn has written her fifth novel, Enough — a deeply personal story about ageing, vulnerability, and mortality. She admits she wrote about "the things that frighten me most."

As a grandmother, she's feeling the weight of the world keenly. "My grandchild has this innocent belief that life is wonderful, but I feel extremely troubled by everything," she shared. It's a rare, raw moment from a woman usually making us laugh.

Dawn also used the interview to voice her strong support for legalising assisted dying, calling it "a no-brainer" and describing the current situation as "merciless."

The full interview is in the new issue of Good Housekeeping UK, out now. Christmas, meanwhile, just got a whole lot more exciting.