At 80, Dame Joanna Lumley is as busy as ever. She is back on BBC One as Felicity in Amandaland, which returned for a second series in May 2026 and has already been given a third, and her latest travel series takes viewers to Argentina.
From Bond girl to Purdey, Patsy Stone and national treasure, here is the story of a British icon. Shop our tribute designs in the actresses collection.
Joanna Lumley Fact File
| Full name | Joanna Lamond Lumley |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 May 1946 (age 80) |
| Place of birth | Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, British India |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress, presenter, author, campaigner |
| Years active | 1967-present |
| Known for | Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, Purdey in The New Avengers |
| Current status | Felicity in Amandaland (BBC One) |
| Title | Dame (DBE, 2022) |
Career History
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | On Her Majesty's Secret Service | The English Girl |
| 1976-1977 | The New Avengers | Purdey |
| 1979-1982 | Sapphire & Steel | Sapphire |
| 1989 | Shirley Valentine | Marjorie Majors |
| 1992-2012 | Absolutely Fabulous | Patsy Stone |
| 2006-2008 | Jam & Jerusalem | Delilah Stagg |
| 2013 | The Wolf of Wall Street | Aunt Emma |
| 2016 | Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie | Patsy Stone |
| 2025-present | Amandaland | Felicity Sanderson |
Selected film and TV acting roles. Her travel documentaries are listed separately below.
Early Years: Model to Bond Girl
Joanna Lumley was born in Srinagar in 1946, in what was then British India. She worked as a model in the 1960s and began acting in 1967.
In 1969 she appeared as one of Blofeld's 'Angels of Death' in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Celebrate a national treasure with our Joanna Lumley Men's Hoodie.
Breakthrough: Purdey and Sapphire
Fame arrived in 1976 when she was cast as the high-kicking Purdey in The New Avengers. Her sharp bob haircut was copied across the country.
She followed it with the cult science fiction series Sapphire & Steel (1979-82) opposite David McCallum.
Keep it fabulous with our Joanna Lumley Men's T-Shirt.
Peak: Absolutely Fabulous
In 1992 she was cast as Patsy Stone in Jennifer Saunders' sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, the glamorous, chaotic best friend of Saunders' Edina. The role won her two BAFTA TV Awards, and the show ran on and off until 2012 before a 2016 film.
She also popped up in Hollywood, playing Aunt Emma in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).
Later Career: Travels and Amandaland
Since 2010 she has fronted a long run of travel documentaries, from Nile and Trans-Siberian Adventure to Japan, India, Danube and Argentina. In 2025 she joined the Motherland spin-off Amandaland as Amanda's sharp-tongued mother, Felicity.
She received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2017 and hosted the BAFTA Film Awards in 2018.
Awards and Honours
BAFTA
- Two BAFTA TV Awards for Absolutely Fabulous
- BAFTA Fellowship (2017)
National honours
- OBE (1995 New Year Honours)
- Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2022 New Year Honours), for services to drama, entertainment and charity
Travel series
- Nile (2010), Greek Odyssey (2011), Trans-Siberian Adventure (2015), Japan (2016), India (2017), Silk Road Adventure (2018), Danube (2025), Argentina (2026)
Away From the Spotlight
Joanna Lumley became the public face of the Gurkha Justice Campaign in 2008, leading a march to Downing Street with a petition of around 250,000 signatures. In May 2009 Gurkha veterans who served at least four years before 1997 won the right to settle in Britain.
FAQs
How old is Joanna Lumley?
Joanna Lumley was born on 1 May 1946, so she is 80.
Where was Joanna Lumley born?
She was born in Srinagar, in Jammu and Kashmir, during British rule in India.
Was Joanna Lumley a Bond girl?
Yes. She appeared in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) as one of Blofeld's 'Angels of Death'.
Who did Joanna Lumley play in Absolutely Fabulous?
She played Patsy Stone, Edina's glamorous best friend, from 1992 to 2012 and in the 2016 film.
Is Joanna Lumley a Dame?
Yes. She was made a Dame in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to drama, entertainment and charity, having been awarded an OBE in 1995.
Who does Joanna Lumley play in Amandaland?
She plays Felicity Sanderson, Amanda's overbearing mother, in the BBC One comedy Amandaland.
Shop the Joanna Lumley Collection
Both designs are unofficial fan tributes, printed to order in the UK.
Find more in our actresses collection and the full movie stars collection. And if you want your own name on the back, design a Custom Name Hoodie.
Part of our Icon Profiles series. Read next: Motherland: Series and Cast and The Wolf of Wall Street Film Story.
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