Career: Appearances in The Young Ones, Girls on Top and Happy Families followed, but it was the sketch show French and Saunders that propelled her to fame. One short skit in the series became the basis for Absolutely Fabulous. The sitcom's phenomenal global success opened new doors, and helped land Jennifer roles in the movies In the Bleak Midwinter, Spice World and Fanny and Elvis. She also voiced a not-so-good fairy godmother in hit animation Shrek 2 and stars in the BBC's Blandings. As well as the film and TV work, she has long been an active participant in the charity Comic Relief, alongside her on-screen partner Dawn French, and regularly takes part in the telethon events. We've also seen her reunited with her old pal in Jam & Jerusalem, which she wrote.

Career: Lumley's first film was 1969's Some Girls Do, followed by Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Her most notable early role was as Ken Barlow's girlfriend Elaine in Coronation Street. Lumley became famous thanks to The New Avengers in 1976. After Sapphire and Steel in the late 1970s, she turned her attention to the theatre and had a stint as a Times columnist. In 1992, Jennifer Saunders cast her as Patsy in sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. Since then, she has appeared in numerous TV dramas and films, including Maybe Baby, James and the Giant Peach, Jam & Jerusalem, Sensitive Skin, The Making of a Lady and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Career: Whitfield became one of BBC Radio's most beloved stars - 22 million people regularly tuned in to her show Take It From Here during the 1950s - but is probably best known for her TV appearances, and has starred alongside Frankie Howerd, Peter Sellers and Tony Hancock. Among her many comedy programmes during the first half of her career were Steptoe and Son, Hancock's Half Hour and The Benny Hill Show. Her long professional relationship with Terry Scott resulted in such series as Happy Ever After and Terry and June. She has also appeared in several Carry On films. Since then Whitfield has won acclaim in Absolutely Fabulous, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Jude and Mirrorball.

Career: She moved into comedy with a starring role in Absolutely Fabulous in 1992, and followed up this near-iconic role with parts in Martin Chuzzlewit, Kenneth Branagh's movie In the Bleak Midwinter and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. In 2000, she had the major vocal role in Nick Park's animated caper Chicken Run, and she landed another significant part when she became the female lead in Jonathan Creek. Since then, she has favoured classic roles, winning rave reviews in Cranford and Lark Rise to Candleford.

Career: After graduating, Horrocks spent a year with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but left to make the film Life is Sweet with acclaimed director Mike Leigh. Her TV debut came in 1987's Road, by Jim Cartwright. He heard her impersonating Edith Piaf, Judy Garland and Shirley Bassey and was so impressed he wrote The Rise and Fall of Little Voice for her, which was turned into the 1998 movie Little Voice. Other projects include The Witches, Absolutely Fabulous, Hunting Venus and Chicken Run. She also had a one-off sketch show, Never Mind the Horrocks, in 1996, sang on Robbie Williams' Swing When You're Winning album and has released her own album. Other work includes Gracie!, The Road to Coronation Street, Trollied, True Love and Sunshine on Leith.

Career: Faithfull enjoyed a few more hits, but her career was soon overshadowed by her relationship with Jagger. In the late 1960s she moved into acting, but her lifestyle took its toll on her work. Her drug problems worsened after splitting from Jagger in 1970, and she lived rough for two years, before making a comeback in 1979 with acclaimed album Broken English. She beat her drug habit in the 1980s. She continues to act and record, but in 2006 was diagnosed with breast cancer, from which she has now recovered. She's also published an autobiography called Faithfull and continues to tour and record.

Career: Rhind-Tutt's breakthrough role was playing the Duke of York in The Madness of King George (1994). He followed this up with roles in The Saint (1997), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Notting Hill (1999), and The Trench (1999). He is best known for playing Dr Mac Macartney in Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing. His more recent credits include Gambit (2012), Rush (2013) and Lucy (2014). He also had a recurring role on the BBC TV comedy Blandings. On Radio 4, he has starred in The Maltby Collection, and The Norman Conquests.