Inside Jennifer Saunders’s 39-year marriage with famous husband Adrian Edmondson

Jennifer Saunders is a bona fide legend, thanks to her iconic comedy double act with Dawn French, French & Saunders, and the beloved series, Ab Fab, in which she starred alongside Joanna Lumley.

However, French & Saunders isn’t Jennifer’s only double act, as the star has been married to actor Adrian Edmondson for nearly 40 years. The pair first met in the 1980s and in their early days, they would regularly mix business with pleasure and appeared alongside each other in various series. Although the pair often keep their relationship out of the spotlight, they have shared some glimpses inside their love story.

Here’s all you need to know about Adrian and his relationship with the star…

Career

Adrian, 67, is best known for his TV sitcom work in shows such as The Young Ones, Bottom and The Comic Strip Presents… opposite the late Rik Mayall.

© Karwai Tang

After studying drama at Manchester University Adrian began his career working the comedy circuit of the 1980s with Rik. The duo, along with other comedians of the time such as Nigel Planer and Alexei Sayle, became well-known within their industry and went on to write shows such as Bad News and Five Go Mad in Dorset.

In more recent years, Adrian has undertaken roles away from the comedy scene. He’s appeared in shows such as Jonathan Creek, EastEnders, 3 Body Problem and Bancroft. He even had a role in the 2017 Stars Wars film, The Last Jedi where he played Captain Peavy.

First meeting

Jennifer and Adrian met on the comedy circuit back in the early eighties and began working together in The Comic Strip. The couple have appeared together in a number of TV shows including Five Go Mad in Dorset, The Young Ones (in which Jennifer had a cameo role), and French & Saunders.

© Dave Benett

Adrian even had a small role in Absolutely Fabulous as Hamish in two episodes between 1992 and 1994. The pair married in 1985 in Cheshire.

Speaking about the moment he proposed to his wife in an interview with the Guardian in 2017, Adrian said: “I tried to propose on horseback. Jennifer likes horses so I thought that would be a good idea. The only fault with the plan was that I can’t ride. I didn’t quite fall off, but I didn’t get round to proposing either, until we sat down to dinner.“

Children

Jennifer and Adrian are parents to three daughters, Ella, Beattie and Freya, and have four grandchildren. The couple are usually private about their family life, but Adrian did make a rare comment about his loved ones in the Guardian back in 2018. Talking about his happy place, he said at the time: “My granddaughter is only one, but she gives the best hugs. That’s when I’m happiest at the moment.”

In the same interview, he also gave a snippet of his early relationship with Jennifer. He said: “When we were first going out, whenever I went round to Jennifer’s place, she’d open the door and we would snog for 10 minutes before even saying hello. It was amazing.”

© Dave Benett

In a separate interview with the publication, he said: “I don’t understand people who think bringing up kids is some sort of onerous duty. I always enjoyed it, and their company. I’ve always thought: what’s not to like about this? Generally, having kids has been the best thing about life, really.”

Two of the couple’s children, Ella and Beattie, have become famous in their own right, with Ella being a musician, while Beattie became an actress and comedian with roles in shows like Josh, Fresh Meat and The Pursuit of Love.