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Helen Lederer

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Helen Lederer

Helen Margaret Lederer (born 24 September 1954) is a British comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series Naked Video and BBC One's Absolutely Fabulous, in which she played the role of Catriona. In 2015, her comedy novel Losing It was published by Pan Macmillan. It was shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize and the Edinburgh Book Festival First Book Award.

Infobox

Born
(1954-09-24) 24 September 1954 (age 71)Carmarthen, Wales
Alma mater
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupation(s)
Comedian, writer, actress
Spouses
mw- Roger Alton (m. 1989; div. 1991) (1 child) Chris Browne (m. 1999)
Children
1
Website
helenlederer.co.uk
Occupations
Comedian, writer, actress

Tables

· Personal life › Television and Film appearances
1984
Role(s)
GwendolynBank Teller
Notes
2 episode ("Time", "Summer Holiday")
Role(s)
Various
Notes
1 episode
1985
Role(s)
Flossie
1985-1986
Role(s)
Girls on Top
Notes
Debbie, Felicity
1986-1991
Role(s)
Naked Video
Notes
Argumentative Wife
1987
Role(s)
Doctor
Notes
1 episode ("Dead Milkmen")
Hello Mum
Role(s)
Herself
Notes
Co-host and writer
1988–1998
Role(s)
French and Saunders
Notes
Baby SueMake-up Artist
1989
Role(s)
Radio presenter
Notes
1 episode ("The Haltemprice Bunker")
1991-1992
Role(s)
Bottom
Notes
NurseLady Natasha
1992–2012
Role(s)
Absolutely Fabulous
Notes
Catriona
1992, 2011
Role(s)
Casualty
Notes
Maria HarrapHillary Oppe
1992
Role(s)
Meriel Connors
Notes
1 episode ("Meltdown to Murder")
Role(s)
Prostitute
Notes
1 episode
1993
Role(s)
Andrea Temple
Notes
1 episode ("Descent Into Maelstrom")
1996
Role(s)
Yvonne Quail
Notes
1 episode ("Dying Live")
2000
Role(s)
Mrs Frumpton
Notes
1 episode ("Too Many Cooks")
2002
Role(s)
Additional voices
Notes
2 episodes
2004
Role(s)
Julia
Notes
1 episode ("Season 2, Episode 11")
Role(s)
Hysterical Woman
Notes
Film
2006
Role(s)
Kath Harrison
Notes
1 episode ("The Dying of the Light")
2008
Role(s)
Maxine
Notes
1 episode ("Human Error")
Role(s)
Adiva
Notes
1 episode ("Genie Hotline")
2009
Role(s)
Marjorie Attfield
Notes
1 episode ("Why Didn't They Ask Evans?")
Mist: Sheepdog Tales
Role(s)
Lord RobertaColleen Cow (voice only)
Notes
4 episodes
Banky's Coming to Dinner
Role(s)
Herself
2010
Role(s)
Mrs Saunders
Role(s)
Marlene
Notes
1 episode ("Strictly Come Prancing")
Role(s)
Big's Howard's Mum
Notes
2 episodes
2011
Role(s)
Rich Aunt Ruby
2012
Role(s)
Miss Moo
Notes
7 episodes
2012-2014
Role(s)
Big Brother's Bit on the Side
Notes
Herself
2013-2015
Role(s)
Hollyoaks
Notes
Mariam Andrews
2013-2014
Role(s)
Old Jack's Boat
Notes
Miss Bowline-Hitch
2015, 2021
Role(s)
Doctors
Notes
Safia JobsonMaisie Oliver
2016
Sarah Chong Is Going to Kill Herself
Role(s)
HR Pam
Gridiron UK
Role(s)
Derek's Mum
2017
Role(s)
Herself
2018
The Ballad of a Haunted Man
Role(s)
Ruth
To Trend on Twitter
Role(s)
Belinda
Some Sketches in a Shed
Role(s)
Tooth Fairy
Notes
1 episode ("Timmy Loves Easter Egg Hunting")
2020
The Schnoz
Role(s)
Sandra
2023
Role(s)
Ginny Kilcannon
Notes
1 episode ("A Climate of Death")
A Packet of Cheese and Onion Bureaucracy
Role(s)
Voice of the Universe
Notes
Voice
2024
Role(s)
Elspeth
Notes
1 episode
Not That I'm Bitter
Role(s)
Helen, Claudia
Notes
TV mini-series, also co-writer
2025
Role(s)
Believer in God
Notes
"The Road through the Alps"
Year
Title
Role(s)
Notes
1984
The Young Ones
GwendolynBank Teller
2 episode ("Time", "Summer Holiday")
Little Armadillos
Various
1 episode
1985
Happy Families
Flossie
1985-1986
Girls on Top
Debbie, Felicity
3 episodes
1986-1991
Naked Video
Argumentative Wife
Appears in 12 episodes, also writer of 2 epiosdes
1987
Filthy Rich & Catflap
Doctor
1 episode ("Dead Milkmen")
Hello Mum
Herself
Co-host and writer
1988–1998
French and Saunders
Baby SueMake-up Artist
2 episodes ("Episodes 2.3", "The Making of Titanic")
1989
The New Statesman
Radio presenter
1 episode ("The Haltemprice Bunker")
1991-1992
Bottom
NurseLady Natasha
2 episodes ("Apocalypse", "Digger")
1992–2012
Absolutely Fabulous
Catriona
1992, 2011
Casualty
Maria HarrapHillary Oppe
2 episodes ("Profit and Loss", "Starting Over")
1992
Virtual Murder
Meriel Connors
1 episode ("Meltdown to Murder")
Harry Enfield's Television Programme
Prostitute
1 episode
1993
One Foot in the Grave
Andrea Temple
1 episode ("Descent Into Maelstrom")
1996
Murder Most Horrid
Yvonne Quail
1 episode ("Dying Live")
2000
Sooty Heights
Mrs Frumpton
1 episode ("Too Many Cooks")
2002
Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
Additional voices
2 episodes
2004
Mile High
Julia
1 episode ("Season 2, Episode 11")
Fat Slags
Hysterical Woman
Film
2006
Heartbeat
Kath Harrison
1 episode ("The Dying of the Light")
2008
Love Soup
Maxine
1 episode ("Human Error")
Genie in the House
Adiva
1 episode ("Genie Hotline")
2009
Agatha Christie's Marple
Marjorie Attfield
1 episode ("Why Didn't They Ask Evans?")
Mist: Sheepdog Tales
Lord RobertaColleen Cow (voice only)
4 episodes
Banky's Coming to Dinner
Herself
2010
The Kid
Mrs Saunders
Hotel Trubble
Marlene
1 episode ("Strictly Come Prancing")
Little Howard's Big Question
Big's Howard's Mum
2 episodes
2011
Horrid Henry: The Movie
Rich Aunt Ruby
2012
Iconicles
Miss Moo
7 episodes
2012-2014
Big Brother's Bit on the Side
Herself
10 episodes
2013-2015
Hollyoaks
Mariam Andrews
8 episodes
2013-2014
Old Jack's Boat
Miss Bowline-Hitch
2015, 2021
Doctors
Safia JobsonMaisie Oliver
2 episodes ("The Rat", "Wonderland")
2016
Sarah Chong Is Going to Kill Herself
HR Pam
Gridiron UK
Derek's Mum
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Catriona
2017
Celebrity Big Brother
Herself
2018
Pointless Celebrities
The Ballad of a Haunted Man
Ruth
To Trend on Twitter
Belinda
Some Sketches in a Shed
Tooth Fairy
1 episode ("Timmy Loves Easter Egg Hunting")
2020
The Schnoz
Sandra
2023
Midsomer Murders
Ginny Kilcannon
1 episode ("A Climate of Death")
A Packet of Cheese and Onion Bureaucracy
Voice of the Universe
Voice
2024
Coronation Street
Elspeth
1 episode
Not That I'm Bitter
Helen, Claudia
TV mini-series, also co-writer
2025
Pilgrimage
Believer in God
"The Road through the Alps"

References

  1. debretts.com
    https://web.archive.org/web/20130619015901/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/search/results/16698/Helen%20LEDERER.aspx
  2. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/10/helen-lederer-launches-prize-for-funny-female-writers-comedy-women-in-print
  3. BFI
    https://web.archive.org/web/20090130105424/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/167886
  4. Sunday Telegraph 13 May 2012
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/9261753/Helen-Lederer-My-cousin-the-survivor.html
  5. The Jewish Chronicle
    https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/the-germans-who-bugged-for-britain-1.33276
  6. "Interview: Helen Lederer – My doc's my rock says funnygirl Helen; COMEDIENNE HELEN LEDERER TELLS SHARON FEINSTEIN HOW SHE 'GIRDLED' HER LOINS AND WAS SWEPT OFF HER FEET BY A DASHING DOCTOR WHO PROPOSED WITH A pounds 30 RING. – Free Online Library"
    http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Interview%3A+Helen+Lederer+-+My+doc%27s+my+rock+says+funnygirl+Helen%3B...-a061926022
  7. "University of Hertfordshire"
    http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/hertfordshire
  8. Honorary doctorates and fellowships
    https://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/355289/1606-UH-Graduation-Roll-of-Honour-2024.pdf
  9. "Warninks advert (party) 1980s"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzf85OfywTg
  10. "Warninks advert from 1988"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQkJjODnyaU
  11. www.britishcomedy.org.uk
    http://www.britishcomedy.org.uk/comedy/lederer.html
  12. www.loveshrewsbury.com
    http://www.loveshrewsbury.com/contrib/whats-comedienne-and-novelist-helen-lederer-shrewsbury-14th-march
  13. "Media Centre – Old Jack's Friends"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20130630023242/http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/oldjacksboat/jacks-friends.html
  14. Digital Spy
    http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/hollyoaks/news/a646833/hollyoaks-reveals-gloved-hand-killers-third-victim-in-e4-episode/
  15. Digital Spy
    http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s16/doctors/news/a628515/doctors-helen-lederer-to-appear-as-grieving-widow-safia.html#~p4sInS4SVJS2EH
  16. BBC
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p060n1xc/episodes/downloads
  17. Chortle
    https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2018/08/13/40838/top_comics_join_short_film
  18. Wilderness Festival 30th July - 2nd August 2020
    https://www.wildernessfestival.com/programme/helen-lederer/
  19. waterstones.com
    https://www.waterstones.com/book/not-that-im-bitter/helen-lederer/9781915306654
  20. The Independent
    https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/tv/news/pilgrimage-bbc-two-jay-mcguiness-helen-lederer-b2737300.html
  21. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/apr/21/pilgrimage-the-road-through-the-alps-review-so-wonderful-that-my-faith-in-celebrities-is-restored
  22. chortle.co.uk
    https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2025/04/15/57903/helen_lederer_joins_fawlty_towers
  23. The Guardian
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/10/helen-lederer-launches-prize-for-funny-female-writers-comedy-women-in-print
  24. Comedy Women in Print
    https://web.archive.org/web/20201020093610/https://www.comedywomeninprint.co.uk/2019-awards
  25. "'Men still say women aren't funny': Nina Stibbe wins Comedy women in print prize"
    https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/14/nina-stibbe-wins-comedy-women-in-print-prize-reasons-to-be-cheerful
  26. The Independent
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/roger-alton-the-observer-editor-on-the-relaunch-of-the-world-s-oldest-sunday-paper-522293.html
  27. "Now I'm slim my daughter steals my clothes says Helen Lederer"
    https://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/350705/Now-I-m-slim-my-daughter-steals-my-clothes-says-Helen-Lederer
  28. Daily Star
    https://www.dailystar.co.uk/tv/midsomer-murders-airing-first-ever-32635639
  29. Radio Times
    https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/coronation-street/coronation-street-helen-lederer-cast-newsupdate/
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