Joanna Lumley is to receive a special honour at this year’s TV Baftas.
The ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ star will receive this year’s Bafta Fellowship, to acknowledge her outstanding contribution to the field of television.
She said: “Nothing could make me prouder or happier than being awarded this phenomenal honour.
“To be counted amongst the greatest talents and stars of our industry is an awesome gift: the Bafta Fellowship is the grandest and most unexpected prize I have ever had the joy of receiving.”
With an acting career that spans more than 40 years, Joanna shot to fame in 1976 when she bagged the role of Purdey in ‘The New Avengers’.
Nowadays, she’s best known for her iconic role as Patsy Stone in ‘Ab Fab’, recently reprising the role for last year’s big screen adaptation.
Bafta chair Jane Lush said: “From high-kicking her way into our hearts as Purdey in ‘The New Avengers’ to showcasing her enviable comedic credentials with her portrayal of Patsy Stone in ‘Absolutely Fabulous’, Joanna Lumley is a true icon of television, and so I am truly delighted that Bafta will be honouring her with Fellowship this year, the highest honour that the Academy bestows.”
Recent recipients of the TV Bafta Fellowship have included Julie Walters and Sir Bruce Forsyth, while last year the title went to screenwriters Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
The TV Baftas will air on Sunday 14 May from 8pm on BBC One, with former ‘Great British Bake Off’ host Sue Perkins set to take on presenting duties for the first time.