Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner, Dawn French.

[1][2] Her mother, Barbara Jane (née Duminy), was a biology teacher, and her father, Robert Thomas Saunders, served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force (RAF).

"[4] They became continuing members of The Comic Strip, which included Adrian Edmondson, Rik Mayall, Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer, Pete Richens, Alexei Sayle and Robbie Coltrane.

[3] The comedy group appeared on Channel 4's first night on air, in the first episode of The Comic Strip Presents: Five Go Mad In Dorset, broadcast on 2 November 1982.

[10][11] In 1985, Saunders starred in and co-wrote Girls on Top with French, Tracey Ullman, and Ruby Wax, which portrayed four eccentric women sharing a flat in London.

Saunders starred in a Comic Strip film called The Supergrass, a parody of slick 1980s police dramas, directed by Peter Richardson.

[12] Saunders also appeared in Amnesty International's The Secret Policeman's Biggest Ball live benefit in 1989, along with Dawn French and others.

[citation needed] Saunders and French followed separate careers as well as irregularly maintaining their comedy sketch show.

The series, which she wrote and starred in as the irresponsible fashion PR agent Edina Monsoon alongside Joanna Lumley, who played Patsy Stone, brought her international acclaim and attention.

[1] The series is also known as Ab Fab[3] and was broadcast in the United States on Comedy Central and BBC America, becoming cult viewing.

Although they share no scenes, Jennifer's Absolutely Fabulous co-star June Whitfield also appeared in The One With Ross's Wedding Part Two as the Walthams' housekeeper.

How life in the country didn't have to be sinister.Saunders wrote and starred in a comedy drama about a Women's Institute entitled Jam & Jerusalem, also known as Clatterford in the United States.

[15] The show starred David Mitchell, Sally Phillips, and Sue Johnston, as well as Dawn French and Joanna Lumley.

[16] In 2007, Saunders and psychologist Tanya Byron[4] wrote BBC Two's The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle about a neurotic daytime talk show host.

[citation needed] In 2012, Saunders guest-starred in Dead Boss, a BBC Three comedy set in the fictional Broadmarsh prison where she plays the cruel and work-shy governor, Margaret.

[3] The sequel broke the first Shrek's own box office record in the U.S in just a fortnight,[3] and it proceeded to make $353 million in just three weeks in the U.S.[24] Her role won the People's Choice Award for the best movie villain in 2005.

In 2022 she starred in Death on the Nile as Marie Van Schuyler alongside Dawn French, Gal Gadot and Kenneth Branagh who also directed the film.

In June 2019, she appeared on stage in the production of Noël Coward's play, Blithe Spirit, as eccentric clairvoyant Madam Arcati.

In 2022, Saunders played the role of Mother Superior in Sister Act the Musical for six weeks at the Eventim Apollo Hammersmith, alongside Beverley Knight as Deloris Van Cartier.

In December 2023, Saunders made her pantomime debut as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the London Palladium alongside Julian Clary, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot, Rob Madge, Francis Mayli McCann and Louis Gaunt.

[28] Saunders, who grew up in nearby Acton Bridge, married Adrian Edmondson at Christ Church, Crowton, Cheshire on 11 May 1985.

[29] At the wedding were fellow Comic Strip members Rik Mayall (Edmonson's longtime comedy partner) and Robbie Coltrane, whom the vicar, Rev Austin Oates, much to his surprise, described as 'delightful and charming'.

In July 2010, Saunders announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer the previous October,[31] and was in remission following a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.