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Joanna Lumley announced as BAFTA host ahead of tour

The actress and comedian kicks off her first ever UK tour in October.

Find tickets here

Joanna Lumley has been confirmed as the Bafta Film Awards host, taking over from Stephen Fry who after 12 years has stepped down to “let others take the Baftas on to new heights”.

It marks the first time the ceremony will be lead by a female host since Mariella Frostrup joined Fry in 2001.

“Honestly, how exciting is this?” she said upon announcement. “It’s just so unbelievably thrilling. Who thought I’d turn into Stephen Fry?

“I want to thank Bafta so much for asking me to do this. I said yes indecently quickly.”

Lumley will lead proceedings on Sunday 18 February 2018, with Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy love story The Shape Of Water celebrating twelve nominations. Other notable films include Darkest Hour, Dunkirk and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Starting her career as a model and muse, Joanna Lumley has since starred in Coronation Street, On The Buses, Dracula and as a Bond Girl in On her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Following her breakthrough role as Purdey in New Avengers, she starred as Patsy in the hit comedy series Absolutely Fabulous.

Her activism has also taken her around the world, including finding the source of the Nile.

Lumley will also be touring the UK for the first time ever in October 2018. It’s All About Me will see the Absolutely Fabulous star, actress and comedian hit the road for a 30-date tour, kicking off on the 6 October 2018 at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.

“The thought of this tour… travelling across the British Isles and Ireland, has completely taken over my waking hours,” Joanna Lumley said of the UK run. “It’s utterly thrilling to start planning the stories I can tell, and the rapture (and gratitude, to be fair) with which I shall greet the audiences. Nothing like this has come my way before, and I may have to be dragged off with a hook at the end of each show. Oh people! This is especially for you from me, with masses of love. I think it will be fabulous.”

This intimate night with Joanna tells some of these tales and more as fans gallop through almost 50 years in this business we call show.

Here are those Joanna Lumley live dates:

6 October 2018 – Waterfront, Belfast
7 October 2018 – Bord Gais, Dublin
9 October 2018 – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
10 October 2018 – Sage, Gateshead
11 October 2018 – SEC Armadillo, Glasgow
12 October 2018 – EICC, Edinburgh
13 October 2018 – Opera House, Blackpool
14 October 2018 – Lowry, Manchester
17 October 2018 – New Theatre, Oxford
18 October 2018 – Hippodrome, Bristol
19 October 2018 – Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
20 October 2018 – Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
21 October 2018 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
22 October 2018 – Regent Theatre, Ipswich
24 October 2018 – City Hall, Sheffield
25 October 2018 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
26 October 2018 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
27 October 2018 – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
28 October 2018 – Barbican, York
29 October 2018 – London Palladium, London
31 October 2018 – Pavilions, Plymouth
1 November 2018 – Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
2 November 2018 – Guildhall, Southampton
3 November 2018 – Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth
4 November 2018 – Gildhall, Porsmouth
6 November 2018 – De Montfort Hall, Leicester
7 November 2018 – St Georges Hall, Blackburn
8 November 2018 – Brighton Dome, Brighton
9 November 2018 – Royal & Derngate, Northampton

Tickets for Joanna Lumley’s It’s All About Me are available now through Ticketmaster.co.uk.