Sarah Ferguson's surprising TV history as she wants Bridgerton role
The Duchess of York said she thought Penelope could use an older, redheaded friend
Sarah Ferguson has revealed that she's after a role on Bridgerton, joking that Penelope needs "an older friend" with red hair.
The sizzling Regency-era show has returned for a third series on Netflix, and it seems the Duchess Of York is a fan. During an appearance on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, she said she was "putting it out there" that she fancied a part.
It certainly wouldn't be Ferguson's first time in a TV show, as she has had some really fun cameos so far. As she eyes up on a spot on Bridgerton, we have a look at some of Fergie's most surprising screen appearances.
What did Sarah Ferguson say about Bridgerton?
Ferguson shared her thoughts on Bridgerton as she chatted to presenter Susanna Reid on the ITV morning show, saying she thought she could play a character who was friendly with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
"I want to be on Bridgerton," she announced. "Susanna, let’s go on Bridgerton!"
Watch: Sarah Ferguson would love to be on Bridgerton
Reid replied to say she thought the Duchess probably had a better shot at getting on the series than she did, after publicly declaring that she'd like a part.
Ferguson replied: "I think Lady Penelope should have a friend who has got red hair like me! An older friend. Don’t you think?"
"I’m putting it out there," she added.
Fergie in Friends
In 1998, Ferguson made a cameo in hit US sitcom Friends. She played herself in an episode entitled The One With Ross's Wedding, in which the group were in London to see Ross (David Schwimmer) and Emily (Helen Baxendale) tie the knot. In one scene, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (the late Matthew Perry) headed out to see the sights and Joey came across the Duchess.
Joey was wearing a touristy hat he had bought from a market stall run by Richard Branson and Chandler was unimpressed. But Joey later revealed that he had met Ferguson and that she liked it. He shared a video of the pair that showed the royal - who was married to Prince Andrew - saying: "Chandler, Joey says you don't really like his hat, but I think it is kind of dashing." "It's Fergie baby!" Joey exclaimed.
The Vicar Of Dibley role
The following year, Ferguson played herself in another hit show, this time The Vicar Of Dibley. She took part in a Comic Relief special of the series, which starred comedian and actress Dawn French as vicar Geraldine Granger.
In the episode, a film crew was visiting the village of Dibley and Geraldine decided to hold a big party and ask some of the celebs along. Her bash ended up having some serious star power as Hollywood actor Johnny Depp was among the guests, as was Ferguson.
Guest host on This Morning
Ferguson has also turned her hand to presenting, and last year did a stint on This Morning's sofa. She was one of the many stars who had a go at presenting on the show before show bosses installed Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley as the regular hosts.
After joking that she was the "fluff" on the show, she was involved in segments like a relationship phone-in and a tutorial on a heart defibrillator.
Her hosting skills divided viewers, with some saying on social media that Fergie was "a breath of fresh air" but others saying it was "chaos".
Finding Sarah
Ferguson, mum to daughters Eugenie and Beatrice, has also given the world of reality TV a whirl, appearing in Finding Sarah in 2011. The show - also sometimes called Finding Sarah: From Royalty To The Real World - aired on US star Oprah Winfrey's network and followed Ferguson in the wake of her divorce.
During the series, she consulted various experts like a life coach and a financial advisor to work out how to make improvements in her own life. It ran for six episodes, which had titles including My Fall From Grace and Soul Searching In The Desert.
In one scene she broke down and cried as she said the press "turned on" her and that she started to believe things that were being said about her appearance and her parenting.
“After 25 years in the public life, I’ve lost who I really am and this torments me," she said. "I hope that I’m going to start to live, to see if I really will find Sarah. I’ve got to do this, otherwise I will die.”
Producing The Young Victoria
Ferguson has also been involved in screen projects behind the scenes and was a producer on the film The Young Victoria in 2009. The movie documented Queen Victoria - played by Emily Blunt - in her younger days and followed her romance with Prince Albert.
Writing in the Daily Mail at the time, the Duchess said the project had been "close to my heart and my family" from the start. "I took the idea of making a film about this to Hollywood 15 years ago," she said.
"A group of people did pick it up and we went to script on it. But when I saw the script I knew it was wrong. It was very Hollywood and rather inappropriate. So I said, ‘No.’ I tore up the script and I waited. As it turned out, I waited a decade."
