Lesley Joseph

Lesley Diana Joseph (born 14 October 1945) is an English actress and broadcaster, whose career on stage and screen spans over sixty years. She is best known for portraying the role of Dorien Green in the television sitcom Birds of a Feather from 1989 to 1998 and again from 2014 to 2020. Other television credits include Absurd Person Singular and Night and Day (2001–2003).

Her stage roles include UK touring productions of Thoroughly Modern Millie (2005), Calendar Girls (2011), Annie (2015) and Sister Act: The Musical (2022–2024). She was also a contestant on the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2016 and won the seventh series of Celebrity Coach Trip in 2022. In 2018, she was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, for the original West End production of Young Frankenstein.

Early life Lesley Diana Joseph was born on 14 October 1945 in Finsbury Park, Haringey, London, England to Rebecca (née Mundy; 1912–2016) and Jack Joseph. She had an older brother Robin, two years her senior. She grew up in Kingsthorpe, Northampton and attended Northampton School for Girls.

Career Stage Joseph hosting A Breath of Fresh Air by the Chiltern Shakespeare Society in June 2008. Joseph made her stage debut in 1964, appearing as Hermia in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Abington Park Museum, Northampton. She appeared in the same play four years later as Titania with the Royal Shakespeare Company. In May 1973, Joseph appeared in Godspell at the Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth. In 1981, she appeared as Edith Piaf in Piaf at the Belgrade Theatre. Joseph went on to appear in multiple productions of Cinderella, Dick Whittington and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs throughout her career.

In 2004, she appeared as Evy Meara in a tour of The Gingerbread Lady. She also performed in the UK tour of The Vagina Monologues, and again in 2006. In 2011, Joseph appeared as Chris in the stage show Calendar Girls, based on the film of the same name. She returned to the stage show eight years later in the role of Jessie. In 2014, Joseph starred as Myra Wilson in the UK Tour of Hot Flush!.

In 2015, Joseph appeared as Miss Hannigan in the stage production of Annie at certain venues, sharing the role with Jodie Prenger, Elaine C Smith and Craig Revel Horwood. In 2017, Joseph portrayed Frau Blucher in the West End production of Young Frankenstein.

Between 2022 and 2024, Joseph starred in Sister Act: The Musical, playing the roles of Sister Mary Lazarus and Mother Superior. Between 2024 and 2025, she appeared as Grandma in the UK tour of The Addams Family. In 2026, she appeared as Molly in Road.

Birds of a Feather

From 1989 to 1998, Joseph starred as Dorien Green in the BBC One sitcom Birds of a Feather. Joseph's character was the wealthy, snobbish, man-eating neighbour of Sharon Theodopolopodous (Pauline Quirke) and Tracey Stubbs (Linda Robson), a middle-aged woman who strives to create the impression that she is a glamorous beauty, dressing in a sexually provocative style, preferring mini-skirts, high heels and leopard print. Dorien was married to an accountant, Marcus, but frequently engaged in affairs with other men.

In December 2011, it was confirmed that Joseph would reunite with fellow Birds of a Feather cast members, Quirke and Robson, for a theatre adaptation of the series. The trio toured the United Kingdom from May to July 2012.

Following the success of the stage adaption, a new series of Birds of a Feather was commissioned after the rights had been acquired by ITV. The new series began airing on 2 January 2014 for eight episodes. To promote the return of the series, Joseph, Quirke and Robson appeared as guest panellists on Loose Women on 16 January 2014.

In March 2015, it was confirmed that a second series of Birds of a Feather had been commissioned by ITV which began airing in December. Following this, a third series was commissioned and aired in early 2016, Joseph appeared in three more Christmas specials airing in 2016, 2017 and 2020 respectively, before the show's cancellation was announced in May 2021.

Other television work Joseph starred in the ITV soap Night and Day from 2001 to 2003 playing the show's resident bitch, Rachel Culgrin. In 2002, Joseph appeared on a special edition of What Not to Wear, where she was given a makeover by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine.

In 2009, she became a regular newspaper reviewer on This Morning. She appeared in the 2014 series Secrets of the Asylum, a two-part series for ITV. In 2015, Joseph took part in ITV's celebrity sheep herding series Flockstars.

In 2014, Joseph appeared with Forrest Dunbar on ITV2's Freshers: A Year On. She made frequent appearances on Channel 5's Big Brother's Bit on the Side. In August 2016, it was announced that Joseph would take part in the fourteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Anton Du Beke. In their first week, the couple scored 23 points for their waltz to "What'll I Do", in week two, 26 for their cha-cha-cha to "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps", in week three, 27 for their quickstep for "A Couple of Swells" from Easter Parade and in week four, 31 for their Charleston to "Won't You Charleston with Me?" from The Boy Friend. They were the fourth couple to be eliminated from the series in week five, after scoring 24 for their tango to "Whatever Lola Wants" and losing the dance off to Daisy Lowe and Aljaž Škorjanec.

In 2019, Joseph appeared on the BBC series Pilgrimage: Road to Rome. She was one of the four competitors who appeared in the special Christmas edition of The Great British Sewing Bee that was transmitted on New Year's Eve 2020 on BBC One. Her fellow competitors in the programme were Sabrina Grant, Sally Phillips and The Vivienne.

In 2022, Joseph won the seventh series of Celebrity Coach Trip alongside her Birds of a Feather co-star Linda Robson. The same year, she appeared as a contestant on the seventeenth series of Celebrity MasterChef. In 2024, she appeared on an episode of Celebrity Gogglebox for Stand Up to Cancer alongside Miriam Margolyes. In 2026, Joseph appeared in an episode of The Good Ship Murder.

Radio Joseph began presenting a radio show in 2008 on BBC London 94.9 with Christopher Biggins, airing every Sunday between 9am to 12noon. Biggins left the show after a few months; however, Joseph has continued to host. She also stood in for Vanessa Feltz on her weekday morning talk show whilst Feltz was on holiday.

Personal life Joseph lives in London. She has two children, a son and a daughter, from a relationship with Carl Littlejohn.

Filmography

Stage Year Title Role Location 1964 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Abington Park Museum, Northampton 1968 A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania Royal Shakespeare Company 1973 Godspell Sonia Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth 1977 The Wizard of Oz The Good Witch of the North Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1981 Piaf Edith Piaf Belgrade Theatre 1982 Wild, Wild Women! Madame Lola / Mrs McLaird Astoria Theatre London and Theatre Royal, Windsor 1986–1988 Exclusive Yarns Pippa New Wimbledon Theatre 1991–1992 Cinderella Wicked Stepmother Richmond Theatre 1992–1993 Cinderella Wicked Stepmother Theatre Royal, Bath 1993–1994 Dick Whittington Fairy Godmother Birmingham Hippodrome 1994–1995 Dick Whittington Alice Fitzwarren Mayflower Theatre 1995 The Miser Frosine UK Tour 1995–1996 Dick Whittington Fairy Godmother New Victoria, Woking 1996–1997 Dick Whittington Alice Fitzwarren Theatre Royal, Plymouth 1997–1998 Dick Whittington Fairy Godmother Wimbledon Theatre 1998–1999 Dick Whittington Fairy Godmother Theatre Royal, Nottingham 2000–2001 Dick Whittington Fairy Godmother Theatre Royal, Newcastle 2002–2003 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Brighton 2003 Office Suite Miss Prothero Royal Shakespeare Company 2003 Singular Women Miss Cohen Kings Head Theatre 2003–2004 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Richmond Theatre 2004 The Vagina Monologues Various UK Tour 2004 The Gingerbread Lady Evy Meara UK Tour 2004–2005 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Newcastle 2005 Thoroughly Modern Millie Mrs Meers UK Tour 2005–2006 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Bradford Alhambra 2006 The Vagina Monologues Various UK Tour 2006–2007 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Wolverhampton Grand 2007–2008 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen New Theatre, Cardiff 2008–2009 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Theatre Royal, Plymouth 2009–2010 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Orchard Theatre, Dartford 2010–2011 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Grand Theatre, Belfast 2011 Calendar Girls Chris UK Tour 2011–2012 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe 2012 Birds of a Feather Dorien Green UK Tour 2012–2013 Robinson Crusoe Enchantress of the Ocean Birmingham Hippodrome 2013–2014 Robinson Crusoe Enchantress of the Ocean Mayflower Theatre 2014 Hot Flush! Myra Wilson UK Tour 2014–2015 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Nottingham 2015 Annie Miss Hannigan UK Tour 2015–2016 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Cliffs Pavilion, Southend 2016–2017 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Plymouth 2017–2018 Young Frankenstein Frau Blucher Theatre Royal, Newcastle Garrick Theatre 2018–2019 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Churchill Theatre, Bromley 2019–2020 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Birmingham Hippodrome 2020–2021 Sleeping Beauty Carabosse Mayflower Theatre 2021–2022 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Bristol Hippodrome 2022 Sister Act: The Musical Sister Mary Lazarus Palace Theatre, Manchester and Hammersmith Apollo 2022–2023 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Milton Keynes Theatre 2022–2023 Sister Act: The Musical Mother Superior UK Tour 2023–2024 Jack and the Beanstalk Spirit of the Beans New Theatre, Cardiff 2024 The Addams Family Grandma Addams London Palladium 2024 Sister Act: The Musical Sister Mary Lazarus/Mother Superior Dominion Theatre 2024–2025 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen Theatre Royal, Plymouth 2025 The Addams Family Grandma UK Tour 2025–2026 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Wicked Queen New Victoria Theatre, Woking 2026 Road Molly Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Sources: