Home is where the fun is for the Birds

Birds Of A Feather ITV, Mon, 9pm

HOME is where the heart is for the Birds Of A Feather this Christmas.

The passports were looked out for a festive break in Morocco last year.

But viewers’ feedback was such that Tracey, Dorien and Sharon are safely back in Chigwell for this week’s special.

“As much as they loved the Moroccan one, people preferred Birds in their own environment,” says Lesley Joseph, who plays Dorien. “I get that.”

And Linda Robson, Tracey in the long-running sitcom, reckons they enjoyed the return to old haunts as much as fans will.

“It’s like we’ve never been away,” says Linda.

“It’s just getting us to actually work when we’re too busy showing each other pictures of our grandchildren all the time.

“We still have lots of the same crew and it’s lovely being at Pinewood Studios. I sometimes pinch myself and think, ‘My God, we first did this in 1989’.”

Recording it was a less stressful experience for Lesley than 2016’s foreign affair.

She was also rehearsing for Strictly – a double booking that required her partner Anton Du Beke to fly out for practice – and she admits it was a bit “too much”.

This episode sees Tracey planning to downsize the house she shares with sister Sharon (Pauline Quirke) but everything goes wrong when they later manage to get locked in a crypt.

“One of the most popular episodes ever was when we got locked in a garage and couldn’t get out,” explains Lesley.

“We’ve always loved that and we said we’d love it if, somehow, we all get stuck somewhere again. So that’s what happens. We’re stuck in the crypt.”

The trio always have a festive lunch together and they have their own ideas about the storylines for a Yuletide special.

“We should do one based around Christmas dinner and what can go wrong with the turkey,” says Lesley. “Just 24 hours in the life of Birds.

“That would be a brilliant episode.

“What works best is the conversations between these three people, who love each other, but hate each other, on every level, all the time.”

The regular series ended in the late ’90s and made a return in 2014, with the Christmas special since becoming a regular staple.

But with each of the cast in demand for other things, finding the time to commit to a full series is still an issue.

“ITV would like one,” adds Linda. “It’s just at the moment all of us are doing different projects.”