Edina Monsoon
| Edina Monsoon | |
|---|---|
| Absolutely Fabulous character | |
 |
|
| First appearance | "Fashion" (1992) |
| Last appearance | Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016) |
| Created by | Jennifer Saunders |
| Portrayed by | Jennifer Saunders |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Eddy, "The Shredder" |
| Aliases | Edwina Margaret Rose Monsoon |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Owner of Monsoon PR |
| Family | "Mother" (name unknown), Unnamed father (deceased) |
| Spouse(s) | Justin (divorced) Marshall Turtle (divorced) Patsy Stone (unrecognised) |
| Children | Serge Turtle (first marriage) Saffron Monsoon (second marriage) |
| Relatives | Jane Monsoon-Johnson ("Lola") (granddaughter, via Saffron) |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Edina Monsoon is the main character in the BBC programme Absolutely Fabulous, played by Jennifer Saunders, who is also the creator of the show. The character is known for her extravagance and various attempts to follow new crazes and trends.
Edina was born Edwina Margaret Rose Monsoon on 6 August 1951 in London; her parents' only child. She later changed her name to Edina and is nearly always called Eddy; only her mother and ex-husband Justin call her Edwina. It is never established whether Monsoon is her maiden or married name. Her mother is only ever referred to as "Mrs M" and her second husband Justin's last name is never revealed. As his daughter also goes by the surname Monsoon, it's possible it's Edina's married name. In the episode 'Gay' she has completely forgotten that her first husband's surname was Turtle. According to Patsy, Edina's teenage nickname was "The Shredder" due to her addiction to eating "huge amounts of tissues" and "whole toilet rolls" which Edina's ex-husband Justin verified.
Edina is the owner of a (barely) successful metropolitan PR company. It seems that this stems partly from her being at the right places at the right times, and around the right people, from the late sixties to early eighties. In several episodes, including "Fashion" and "The Last Shout", Edina demonstrates the creativity, organisational ability and shrewd business sense that have made her successful. In the first episode, "Fashion" she prides herself as "going down in history as the woman that put Princess Anne in a Vivienne Westwood basque." However more often than not, in numerous episodes her ventures fail rather than triumph. In the episode "Small Opening", Edina asked her assistant Bubble, "How would I normally ensure a flop?", and Bubble replied, "Promote it."
In the third episode, "France", she attempted to start her own interior design company, with her first client being her lifelong friend, Bettina, but for unexplained reasons, the company failed without Bettina's apartment ever being decorated. She also runs her own shop which sells ethnic ornaments, but the shop is largely unsuccessful: Edina takes most of the stock home with her instead of actually selling it.
A self-loathing yet self-obsessed neurotic, Edina's self-image is based on 1960s counterculture and the world of fashion and celebrity. She is fixated on self-indulgence and her ideas of self-actualisation. Edina subscribes to every trend that arises, including New Age spirituality—she calls herself a Buddhist—and feng shui. She aspires to move in the highest circles of creativity, fashion, and celebrity. She considers herself a follower of the latest trends, but, having no real sense of style of her own, Edina is actually a fashion victim, parading the latest fashion trends without understanding them or understanding what looks good on her. She is a die-hard fan of Christian Lacroix and is quick to point out "It's Lacroix, sweetie, Lacroix". Edina is mildly overweight but not nearly so much as she believes herself to be and frequently attempts to conceal her bloated body with heavy, swaddling clothing which only adds to her absurd appearance. Others often draw attention to Edina's weight, aware of her obsession with it which only adds to her neurosis.
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