Lesley Joseph


Lesley Diana Joseph is an English actress and broadcaster, best known for playing Dorien Green in the television sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998, and again from 2014 to 2017. Other television credits include Absurd Person Singular and Night and Day.
Her stage roles include UK touring productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Calendar Girls and Annie. In 2018, she was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, for the original West End production of Young Frankenstein.

Early life

Joseph was born in Hackney, east London and grew up in Kingsthorpe, Northampton. She studied at Northampton school for girls. Joseph's mother, Rebecca Mundy, was born in May 1912 and died in March 2016, aged 103.

Career

Stage

In May 1973, Joseph appeared in Godspell at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth.
Joseph starred in Cinderella at Theatre Royal, Plymouth in 2008 and the Orchard Theatre in Dartford in 2009, and starred as Myra Wilson in the UK Tour of Hot Flush!. In 2014, Hot Flush! embarked on its third UK tour.
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 the summer of 2011, Joseph appeared as Chris in the stage show Calendar Girls, based on the film of the same name.
In 2014/15, she appeared at the Theatre Royal Nottingham as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
In 2015, she appeared as Miss Hannigan in the stage production of Annie at certain venues, sharing the role with Jodie Prenger and Elaine C Smith she also starred as the fairy godmother in Cinderella at the cliffs pavilion. In 2016/17, she starred in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth. Joseph then portrayed Frau Blucher in the West End production of Young Frankenstein.

''Birds of a Feather''

From 1989 to 1998, Joseph 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 adaptation of the series. The trio toured the United Kingdom from May to July 2012.
A new series of Birds of a Feather was filmed after the rights had been acquired by ITV. The new series began airing on 2 January 2014 for eight episodes. In March, it was confirmed that a second series had been ordered which began airing in December. Following this, a third series was commissioned, and aired in early 2016. It is unknown when recording will begin for a fourth series, and when it will air but Joseph stated in an interview that it will not be this year due to her busy work schedule but it's possible that it could return at a later point.
To celebrate the return of Birds of a Feather, Joseph, Quirke and Robson appeared as guest panellists on Loose Women on 16 January 2014.

Further TV work

Joseph starred in the ITV soap Night and Day 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 opposite Linda Robson and Mica Paris.
Since 2009, she has been a regular newspaper reviewer on This Morning. She appeared in the 2014 series Secrets of the Asylum, a two-part series for ITV. In 2015, Joseph took part in ITV's celebrity sheep herding series Flockstars, beginning on 30 July.
In 2014, Joseph appeared with Forrest Dunbar on ITV2's Freshers: A Year On. She makes frequent appearances on Channel 5's Big Brother's Bit on the Side.
On 22 August 2016, it was announced that Joseph would take part in the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Anton du Beke. In their first week, the couple scored 23 points for their waltz to "What'll I Do", in week two, 26 for their cha-cha-cha to "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps", in week three, 27 for their quickstep for "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade and in week four, 31 for their Charleston to "Won't You Charleston with Me?" from The Boy Friend. The couple left the series in week five, after scoring 24 for their tango to "Whatever Lola Wants".

Radio

Joseph began a radio show in 2008 on BBC London 94.9 with Christopher Biggins, airing every Sunday between 9am to 12noon. 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.
She supports Tottenham Hotspur and lives in Hampstead, northwest London. She has two children: a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Elizabeth.

Screen and stage credits

;Television
YearTitleRole
1969The Bastard KingCatherine of Braganza
1974Another Mother Makes FiveGypsy woman
1975Sadie, It's Cold OutsideCashier
1979The KnowledgeVal
1980MinderMaureen
1981RootsMelanie Goldblatt
1983Number 10Rose Rosenburg
1985Summer Season
1985Absurd Person SingularLottie Potter
1987First SightPippa
1988Lea GirlsShop assistant
1989Ruth Rendell MysteriesRose Farriner's neighbour
1989–1998, 2014–2017Birds of a FeatherDorien Green
1995RumbleMa Pecs
1996SpywatchMiss Millington
1998MacbethWitch
2001–2003Night and DayRachel Culgrin
2005Lost DogsMaria-Carmen Todd
2006The Secret of Eel IslandGreen Beryl
2006–2009, 2014Loose WomenGuest panellist
2007Kings of 70s RomanceNarrator
2008The SlammerErica, the critic
2009ScoopReceptionist/Mrs Green
2009–2014This MorningNewspaper reviewer
2011Little CrackersWardrobe mistress
2014Secrets from the AsylumContributor
2015FlockstarsParticipant
2016Strictly Come DancingParticipant
2017Celebrity 5 Go MotorhomingParticipant

;Guest appearances
;Stage
YearTitleRoleLocation
1973GodspellPavilion Theatre, Bournemouth
2005Thoroughly Modern MillieMrs MeersUK Tour
2008CinderellaTheatre Royal, Plymouth
2009CinderellaOrchard Theatre, Dartford
2010–11Snow White and the Seven DwarfsWicked QueenThe Grand Opera House
2011Calendar GirlsChrisUK tour
2014Hot Flush!Myra WilsonUK tour
2014–15Snow White and the Seven DwarfsWicked QueenTheatre Royal, Nottingham
2015AnnieMiss HanniganUK tour
2016–17Snow White and the Seven DwarfsWicked QueenTheatre Royal, Plymouth
2017–18Young FrankensteinFrau BlucherTheatre Royal, Newcastle, Garrick Theatre