Helen Lederer, 67, reveals steamy fling with late funnyman Rik Mayall

‘We fraternised deeply!’ Absolutely Fabulous star Helen Lederer, 67, reveals she enjoyed a steamy fling with late funnyman Rik Mayall during their time on comedy circuit

Helen Lederer has admitted she had a fling with late comedy actor Rik Mayall during their early careers in the 1980s.

The Absolutely Fabulous actress, 67, revealed details of their romantic relationship as she admitted they ‘fraternised deeply’ after meeting at the Edinburgh Festival.

Rik, who passed away aged 56 after suffering a heart attack in July 2014, was a  pioneer of alternative comedy and was a big part of the ‘boom’ in the eighties.

Days gone by: Helen Lederer has admitted she had a fling with late comedy actor Rik Mayall during their early careers in the 1980s (pictured on BBC sitcom Bottom in 1992)

Helen and Rik frequently worked together on shows such as The Young Ones, Happy Families and 90s sitcom Bottom.

In one seen from slapstick comedy Bottom, Helen played Lady Natasha who stripped off to seduce Rik’s virgin character Richard ‘Richie’ Richard.

However she has now revealed that the on screen romp wasn’t their first sexual encounter and told how they first enjoyed a steamy tryst 10 years prior.     

Relevations: The Absolutely Fabulous actress, 67, revealed details of their relationship as she admitted they ‘fraternised deeply’ after meeting at the Edinburgh Festival (pictured 2021)

When quizzed about the sex scene, Helen said: ‘Well, it’s interesting when you look back, because I took myself very seriously in those days and because I was always on my own I would just turn up and try to do the job’, reports the Mirror.

‘I’d already connected with Rik before, off screen, from Edinburgh so I knew him in that way, so it was a case of just being professional. I didn’t think, ‘Oh, lucky me, I’ve got a sex scene,’ because I’d already had that.’

Helen added that Rik never attempted to hide their relationship and described him as a ‘modern man’, who was very open about what they had shared.

Co-stars: Helen and Rik frequently worked together on shows such as The Young Ones, Happy Families and 90s sitcom Bottom (pictured)

Catriona actress spoke fondly of her memories with Rik in Edinburgh after they met in 1983 and struck up a close bond, while he was performing a sell out show with Ben Elton in the Assembly Rooms.

She said: We got on, we connected, we talked about comedy a lot, we fraternised deeply at that festival. He was at his height, queues round the block, I think he did his Kevin Turvey thing, I got to see it and the audience went crazy. That was a total moment in comedy of what people wanted and what they were given by him.’ 

After his death, Rik left behind his wife Barbara Robbin and their three children, and Helen stressed that their flirtation was very much in the past. 

When Rik died Helen wrote a tribute piece where she recalled their closeness at the Edinburgh Festival. 

She recalled: ‘He said: ‘Do you want a dress or something?’ I said: ‘No, Rik. Not really,’ so I didn’t get a dress. But I got his attention and the twinkle-eyed look that he kept for me whenever we would meet.’

Revolutionary: Rik, who passed away aged 56 after suffering a heart attack in July 2014, was a pioneer of alternative comedy and was a big part of the ‘boom’ in the eighties (pictured 2011)

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