Jennifer Saunders is a British comedienne, actress and comedy writer. She is most widely known for playing Edina Monsoon in the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous and as the voice of Fairy Godmother in the film Shrek 2.

Saunders attended the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. There she met Dawn French, and the two performed together after graduation, working the festival, cabaret, and stand-up circuits. They were a central part of the alternative comedy scene in the early 1980s. It was around this time that both then worked with comedy troupe The Comic Strip, where they performed with many of the comedians who were to become their generation's leading comedy performers. She and Dawn French then created French & Saunders, a popular sketch comedy show for the BBC.

Jennifer Saunders came to international attention for her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, which she created, co-wrote, and in which she starred as irresponsible booze-hound Edina Monsoon.

She has also appeared on the US television shows Roseanne and Friends, and in the Spice Girls' movie Spice World.

In 2003, she was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2004 she played the Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2; in the film she performed the song "Holding Out for a Hero" (among others).

Jennifer Saunders is married to fellow comedian Adrian Edmondson, with whom she has three daughters. The character of Edina Monsoon was based on a character called Eddie Monsoon created by husband Adrian Edmondson for The Comic Strip. Eddie Monsoon was a failed comedian featuring in a documentary style film about his failing career. It was called "Eddie Monsoon - A life".