Legendary comedy duo to reunite for BBC Christmas Day special

There are always multiple surprises and exciting additions to the Christmas TV lineup – and this year will be no different!

Legendary comedy duo French and Saunders have announced they’re heading back to screens with a special programme to mark their 30th anniversary.

It will be Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders’ first full comedy special together in ten years.

French and Saunders are coming BACK! [Credit: FameFlynet]

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Confirming the big news to The Mirror, the pair said the show is already in development and will likely air on BBC One on Christmas Day.

Dawn, 59, teased that viewers can expect funny takes on The Handmaid’s Tale and the plethora of recent reality shows about Brits behaving badly.

She said: “I am shocked by how they behave. You reckon they’d want to meet someone who would love, cherish and respect them.

“But instead they go out and get utterly hammered and are [sleeping with people] in a bush and coming out and going ‘Yes!’, like men.”

They’ve been one of Britain’s best loved comedy duos for 30 years [Credit: FameFlynet]

French and Saunders began back in 1987 and became one of the most popular sketch shows on TV.

The satire series ran until 2007, with the final series named A Bucket O’ French and Saunders, featuring a retrospective look at old programmes mixed in with new material.

There have also been multiple TV specials over the years, most recently for Red Nose Day 2017, in which they spoofed James Corden’s wildly popular Carpool Karaoke.

But their Christmas Day programme will be a full length episode, rather than brief sketch.

Dawn also had huge success with the likes of The Vicar of Dibley [Credit: FameFlynet]

They reunited on the red carpet at last year’s Glamour Women of the Year Awards, where Dawn was on hand to present Jennifer with an Outstanding Contribution prize.

Jennifer accepted her trophy by paying tribute to Dawn.

“I would like to thank my lovely good friend here, Dawn French. Thank you. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. You are my inspiration,” she said.

“If I’ve made an outstanding contribution to anything I hope it’s to female friendships.”

Jennifer found huge success alongside Joanna Lumley in Ab Fab [Credit: FameFlynet]

Meanwhile, reports surfaced in March that the comedy duo turned down a big money deal to replace Mel and Sue as the hosts of Great British Bake Off.

According to Mail on Sunday, bosses at Channel 4 approached them with a £2.5 million offer to join the show after its move from BBC, but they declined.

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A source said: “They were the top of the list to replace Mel and Sue. They absolutely would have brought in the viewers but it wasn’t to be. An offer was put in – a pretty high offer at that – but it wasn’t enough. The impression was that actually, no amount would have been enough.”

However, a rep for Bake Off’s production company denied the claims.