Comedy legends Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, who officially retired in 2009, are reuniting for this year's London Palladium panto as the Ugly Sisters. This will be their first stage performances together in 17 years. Despite their retirement, they have remained friends and collaborated on projects such as the London Pantanamic pantomime. The duo also expressed a desire to challenge Julian Clary's status as the main source of attention for the panto.