Faithfully Speaking

Never?

No. I think she was pretty cool about stuff like that. She had
relationships with women when she was a young dancer in
Berlin.

Was it just a one-night stand?

Yeah, it was. I've never really fallen in love with a
woman.

Was that the extent of your romantic experiences with
women?

No, I've had other relationships, and I enjoyed them very
much. They were wonderful, sexual relationships.

In reading your past interviews I'm struck by two images
of your mother, one that speaks perhaps too frankly about her
sexual past -- consequently diminishing your innocence -- and
the other, a woman desperate to protect your virtue. Can you
talk more about this juxtaposition?

I think you're right, yeah. She talked to me about lots of
things I'd have preferred not to know -- not just her
sexual past, though that was pretty mind-blowing, but also
[problems with] money. That was a very hard thing to have to
listen to at 8. I came out of it with a decadent
perspective that I've always had. But I don't think
decadence is about what you do, I think it's something you
are.

But she really loved
me, and my shrink told me that one of the reasons I was able to
get better, from addiction, was because I had my mother's love.
If you've never had your mother's love it must be very
hard. I know she certainly wasn't conventional, but she was
a fairly loving and great mother. I think [she] was very much
the right mother for me -- indiscretions and all.

Your life story is so rich, and while it gives plenty to
talk about, are you ever bored or annoyed by people referencing
the more notorious aspects of it?

Of course I am! I'm really fed up with it! [
Laughs

] This is the other thing I'm working on: new ways to deal
with it, which won't be much fun for the journalists. I
can't go on like this, you know. I'm going to say,
"Listen, it was 45 years ago, I wrote it all in my
autobiography, I can't remember anymore." [
Laughs

]

Tell us about your experience working on
Absolutely Fabulous.

Jennifer Saunders [the show's creator and star] came to my
show, I think with [comedian] Ruby Wax -- it was when I was
doing the Kurt Weill show. Jen asked me if I'd like to be
in
AbFab

. I said, "Well, I don't want to play myself -- I want
a character." I didn't want to be one of those dopey
celebrities on
AbFab

. And Jennifer looked at me very haughtily and said,
"Well, would God do?" So of course I couldn't say
no. I said, "Yes, yes. God would be fine." [
Laughs

]

How does one prepare for the role of the Almighty?

[
Laughs

] Well, it's not that hard, actually.