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Jennifer and I never argue! Former Young Ones star Ade Edmondson has abandoned the city for a harmonious life down on the farm .... Taking a breather at the end of his fifth (and probably final) tour of successful comedy show Bottom, actor and comedian Ade Edmondson looks lean and laid-back when we meet in a swish hotel in Nottingham city centre. And there’s a very good reason for that. Three years ago he and his family - wife, comedienne and actress Jennifer Saunders, 45, and their three daughters, Ella, 18, Beattie, 16 and Freya, 13 - left London for life in Devon. ’It got to the stage where we just wanted a change of life really,’ explains Ade, 46. ‘Things move at a slower pace down there. It’s not too hectic and we really enjoy it.’ Nowadays instead of juggling the demands of life in the capital, Ade and Jennifer have got their hands full tending to 10 sheep, four cows and six chickens, not to mention the kids. ‘It’s very satisfying looking after the animals - I’m hoping to get some pigs next. I like the thought of getting closer to nature and eating food that’s been hand-reared. Deep down we’re quite conventional. Jennifer would much rather be a gardener and I’d be much happier if I were a farmer. We have such a different relationship to what people would imagine - we have a real relationship.’ And so far the ‘real’ relationship has lasted 18 years. Ade equates their success to mutual understanding and keeping out of the media spotlight. ‘We don’t exactly court publicity,’ he says. ‘We’re happy to keep ourselves to ourselves and living here we don’t get bothered very much. We also don’t argue - we never have. Yes, there are things we disagree about but we just tend to back off when those subjects come up, which works quite well. You have to work at things. You mustn’t take things for granted and you have to be prepared to give in to the other person, even when you don’t really feel like it. ‘We’ve never been very competitive about our work either. I’ve always done my own thing and I couldn’t be more proud of what Jen has achieved. I’ve got this sex icon, comedy goddess wife who earns a shed load of money. People think I should be jealous, which is bizarre. It’s hard to refute being jealous because it sounds as if I’m not being truthful but it really doesn’t worry me. ‘We both agreed early on that the children came first so that if one of us was working then the other one would be at home with the kids, otherwise what’s the point in having them? ;There’s no problem with sharing a house with four women, really.’ he continues. ‘You tend to get looked after very well. I’m not sure if the girls are embarrassed by Jennifer and me. I don’t mind the boyfriends coming around. I wasn’t sure how I’d react but I can talk to them and they can hold a decent conversation so there’s no problem really. I enjoy watching MTV and mispronouncing all the bands’ names on purpose. That really annoys the girls. It’s actually quite fun playing the silly dad.’ Playing it silly is largely how Ade first found fame more than 20 years ago in his role as crazy medical student Vyvyan in The Young Ones and now he’s returning to our TV screens as consultant orthopaedic surgeon Roy Glover in the new six-part BBC comedy Doctors And Nurses. ‘I’m not sure whether this is exactly how Vyvyan would have turned out,’ laughs Ade. ‘But I do find it fascinating how medical students are a pretty wild bunch and then they turn into very staid consultant surgeons. I like to think the show says something about the state of the health service today and the people who work in it but there are lots of jokes in it too. ‘The Young Ones series recently came out on DVD so I thought I’d better watch it again. I don’t think my daughter was overly impressed and I must admit it didn’t have a lot of jokes in it,’ he says. ‘It was the series that got us noticed but I actually preferred Bottom, which is probably why Rik and I have kept doing it on stage all these years.’ Despite enjoying the madcap show, which involves masses of slapstick comedy and pretend violence, it has led to the occasional mishap. Two years ago Ade found himself in casualty after Rik hit him over the head with a frying pan on stage and drew blood. ‘I had to have stitches,’ he recalls. ‘Rik’s always doing things like that to me. I’ve got a few scars from him over the years. But we’re still best mates.’ Best mates they may be but Ade feels their friendship, which has spanned over 20 years since meeting at Manchester University, has reached a plateau. ‘Rik and I seem so opposite these days. He’s much more concerned about work and he’s got no hobbies. He’s only got his job, I’ve got my hobbies and my job takes a back seat. When we’re together we tend to just sit and eat. ‘I think Rik and I have now reached an age where the next stage is still a few years down the line. There’s probably a great sitcom for us about a couple of grumpy old men in an old folk’s home.’ But at the moment, Ade’s content with his present - the nursing home’s a long way off. ‘I don’t feel my age. It’s usually young people who make you realise you’re no spring chicken any more. I feel really good right now,’ he says. ‘I’ve decided to get fit because I didn’t want to turn into a middle-aged flabby git. I run most days. I’ve still got a bit to lose but when I get on my running machine watching MTV, I’m in my element. I try not to worry about anything too much because I know I’m a lucky bloke. In fact I’m happier than I’ve been for a long time.’ Phil Tusler Did You Know |
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