Lesley Joseph

Lesley Joseph
Joseph hosting A Breath of Fresh Air, June 2008
Born	Lesley Diana Joseph (1945-10-14) 14 October 1945 Hackney, London, England
Occupation	Broadcaster, actress
Years active	1974–present

Lesley Diana Joseph^[1][2] (born 14 October 1945^[3]) is an English actress and broadcaster, best known for playing Dorien Green in the popular sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 until 1998 and since 2014.

Early life

Joseph was born in Hackney, London and grew up in Northampton.^{[citation needed]} Joseph's mother was born in May 1912, and is still alive.

Career

Lesley starred in the ITV soap Night and Day through its entire run 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 alongside Linda Robson and Mica Paris.^[4]

Since 2009, she has been a regular Newspaper reviewer on This Morning.

Birds of a Feather

Between 1989 until 1998, Lesley 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 adaption of the series. The trio toured the UK in May and July 2012.

In June 2013, the Sun newspaper reported a new series of Birds of a Feather would begin filming in September 2013 after the rights had been acquired by ITV.^[5] The new series began airing on 2 January 2014 and aired for eight episodes.

To celebrate the return of Birds of a Feather, Joseph alongside fellow cast members Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson appeared as guest panellists on Loose Women for one episode which aired on 16 January 2014. That particular episode was anchored by regular Loose Women anchor Andrea McLean.

Stage

She starred in Cinderella at Plymouth Theatre Royal in 2008 and the Orchard Theatre in Dartford in 2009,^[6] and starred as Myra Wilson in the UK Tour of Hot Flush!

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 summer 2011, she appeared as Chris in the hit stage show Calendar Girls. The play is based on the film of the same name, and is in its second year of touring.

Radio

Joseph began a radio show in 2008 on BBC London 94.9 with Christopher Biggins, airing every Sunday between 9am-12pm. 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.^[7] Lesley supports Tottenham Hotspur and lives in Hampstead, north west London.

Filmography

• 100 Greatest TV Ads - Herself (1 episode, 2010)
• Hell's Kitchen - Herself (3 episodes, 2004–09)
• The Greatest Christmas Comedy Moments - Herself - (2008)
• Comedy Classics - Herself (2 episodes, 2008)
• Kings of 70s Romance - Herself, Narrator (2007)

Guest appearances

• The Mint (2006) - Guest
• Loose Women (2006-09, 2014) - Guest Panellist
• Ready Steady Cook (2007) - Herself
• The Underdog Show (2008) - Contestant, eliminated in the fourth week
• Celebrity Come Dine with Me (12 January 2009, 17 October 2011) - Contestant, won £1,000 for charity in her second appearance
• Cash in the Celebrity Attic (21 January 2009) - Participant
• Let's Dance for Comic Relief (2010) - Contestant
• Celebrity Eggheads (2010) - Contestant
• Pointless Celebrities (2012) - Contestant
• All Star Family Fortunes (19 January 2014) - Contestant, won £30,000 for Stage for Age and Age UK.

References

External links

• Lesley Joseph at the Internet Movie Database