# Felicity Montagu

Felicity Jane Montagu (born 12 September 1960) is an English actress. She is best known for playing Lynn Benfield, the long-suffering assistant of Alan Partridge.

## Early life

Montagu was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, to Lieutenant-Colonel John Drogo Montagu (1916–2013), whose great-great-grandfather, Admiral George Montagu, was the great-great-grandson of the Hon. James Montagu (d. 1665), who, in turn, was the third son of Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester. She attended Loughborough University and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

## Career
### Film

Montagu's reputation in comedy character parts was enhanced by her performance in Bridget Jones's Diary as Perpetua, Bridget's unpleasant colleague. She also appeared in the 2006 film Confetti as highly strung magazine editor Vivien Kay-Wylie. She appeared in the film I Want Candy in which she plays the mother of an ambitious teenager. She appeared in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008). In 2013, she reprised her role as Lynn Benfield for the Alan Partridge film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and Mrs Mainwaring in the 2016 Dad's Army film. In 2016, Montagu reprised her role as Miss Adolf from the Hank Zipzer series in the TV movie Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe.

### Television

In 2004 and 2005, Montagu starred in the ITV comedy drama Doc Martin as Caroline Bosman, the radio presenter of Radio Portwenn. She played Lynn, the faithful but put-upon personal assistant in I'm Alan Partridge, and the vicar's wife Sue in Nighty Night. In 2006, she took the leading role of housewife and gang queen Barbara Du Prez in the comedy series Suburban Shootout. Her other television credits include Mapp & Lucia, The Bill, Lovejoy, Health and Efficiency, Wish Me Luck, Tumbledown, Harry Enfield's Television Programme, 2point4 Children, A Touch of Frost, My Life as a Popat, Johnny and the Bomb, Peak Practice, The Queen's Sister, Coogan's Run, Doc Martin, Lead Balloon, Alexei Sayle's Stuff, Skins, Hank Zipzer, M.I. High, The Durrells, The End of the F***ing World, Rab C. Nesbitt, and Sally4Ever. In 2020, she appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef.

### Theatre

After graduating from drama school, Montagu was cast in the Terry Johnson play Unsuitable for Adults at the Bush Theatre. She went on to work at the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal National Theatre. After a long hiatus due to her screen work, Montagu returned to the stage when she starred as Melanie alongside Rowan Atkinson in the 2013 West End production of Quartermaine's Terms at Wyndham's Theatre. In 2017, she appeared at the Liverpool Playhouse in a stage adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as Mrs Bennet, alongside Matthew Kelly as Mr Bennet.

### Radio

Montagu has also been a regular voice on a range of comedy programmes on BBC Radio 4 since the mid-1980s. Her credits include Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Delve Special, Ayres on the Air, Dial M For Pizza, Old Harry's Game, The Million Pound Radio Show, Revolting People, and No Commitments.

## Personal life

Montagu married Alan Nixon in 1984. They divorced in 2006. The couple have two children, Olivia and Luke. Felicity and Olivia worked together in 2016 in the BBC Radio 4 series Guilt Trip, where they played a fictional mother and daughter.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1985 | Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV | Anthea | Episode: "Episode #1.5" |
| 1985 | Coming Through | Jesse Chambers | TV film |
| 1986 | We'll Think of Something | Celia | Episode: "You Know Who Your Friends Are" |
| 1986 | Who Dares Wins | Pregnant Woman | 2 episodes |
| 1987–1989 | Ffizz | Griselda | 12 episodes |
| 1988 | Tumbledown | Tricia | Television film |
| 1988 | This is David Lander | Linda Timson | Episode: "Reduced to Tears" |
| 1988–1989 | Alexei Sayle's Stuff | Various Roles | 7 episodes |
| 1989 | Norbert Smith, a Life | Cecilia Johanson | Television film |
| 1990 | Wish Me Luck | Nicole Dissard | 7 episodes |
| 1990 | Harry Enfield's Television Programme | Thirties Player | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| 1991 | The Bill | Pearce | Episode: "Furthers" |
| 1991 | Josie | Jacklyn | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Casualty | Karen Forrester | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Paul Merton: The Series | Various Characters | Episode: "Episode #1.6" |
| 1992 | Lovejoy | Deborah Frobisher | Episode: "Out to Lunch |
| 1992 | 2Point4 Children | Janice | Episode: "I'm Going Slightly Mad" |
| 1992 | Funny Business | Performer | Episode: "Visual Comedy" |
| 1993 | Bonjour la Classe | Parent 2 | Episode: "Red Card" |
| 1993 | KYTV | Horsey Woman | Episode: "Get Away with You" |
| 1993–1995 | Health and Efficiency | Dr. Kate Russell | 12 episodes |
| 1994 | A Touch of Frost | Anne Butler | Episode: "Nothing to Hide" |
| 1994 | The All New Alexei Sayle Show | Various Characters | Episode: "Episode #1.6" |
| 1995 | Coogan's Run | Florence Mullinger | Episode: "Handyman for All Seasons" |
| 1995–1998 | Smith & Jones | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Brass Eye | Dinner Party Guest (uncredited) | Episode: "Animals" |
| 1997 | Holding the Baby | Jane | Episode: "Episode #1.6" |
| 1997 | Hospital! | Sally | Television film |
| 1997 | Harry Enfield and Chums | Woman in Cholmondeley-Warner Film | Episode: "Harry Enfield and Christmas Chums" |
| 1997–2002 | I'm Alan Partridge | Lynn Benfield | 12 episodes |
| 1998 | Hetty Wainthropp Investigates | Susan Dent | Episode: "Blood Relations" |
| 1998 | Babes in the Wood | Sasha | Episode: "Christmas Special" |
| 1999 | All Along the Watchtower | Mrs. Carter | Episode: "Keeping the Peace" |
| 1999 | Acts of Passion | Rosemary | Episode: "Hungry" |
| 1999 | People Like Us | Various | Episode: "The Estate Agent" |
| 2000 | The Mrs Bradley Mysteries | Ruby Larkin | Episode: "The Rising of the Moon" |
| 2000 | City Central | Jenny Wilson | Episode: "Everything Must Go" |
| 2000 | Trust | Beth Simpson | Television film |
| 2000 | Peak Practice | Marian Lowther | Episode: "On a Clear Day" |
| 2001 | Bridget Jones's Diary | Perpetua | |
| 2001 | Mr Charity | Mrs. Gilbert | Episode: "You and Whose Tsunami?" |
| 2001 | Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible | Lavinia | Episode: "And Now the Fearing..." |
| 2003 | The Eustace Bros. | Ginny Topley | Episode: "Episode #1.5" |
| 2003 | Blackball | Astronomer | |
| 2003 | The Crouches | Eileen | Episode: "Uncle Sonny" |
| 2003 | Hear the Silence | Mary Watt | Television film |
| 2004–2005 | Nighty Night | Sue Forks | 10 episodes |
| 2004–2007 | My Life as a Popat | Ivy Saviour | 5 episodes |
| 2004–2013 | Doc Martin | Caroline Bosman | 7 episodes |
| 2005 | The Afternoon Play | Marjorie Goldblum | Episode: "The Singing Cactus" |
| 2005 | Bremner, Bird and Fortune | Unknown | Episode: "Episode #7.6" |
| 2005 | The Queen's Sister | Gillian Fleming | Television film |
| 2005 | Planet Sketch | Various (voice) | 26 episodes |
| 2006 | Johnny and the Bomb | Mildred Seeley | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Uncle Dad | Mrs. Farquharson | Television series |
| 2006 | My Family | Lydia | Episode: "Dentally Unstable" |
| 2006 | Confetti | Vivian | |
| 2006–2007 | Suburban Shootout | Barbara du Prez | 11 episodes |
| 2007 | I Want Candy | Val, Joe's Mum | |
| 2007 | Daphne | Director, 'September Tide' | Television film |
| 2008 | M.I. High | Big Sister/Mary Taylor | Episode: "Big Sister" |
| 2008 | How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | Clipboard Nazi | |
| 2009 | No Holds Bard | Paula Pickford | Television film |
| 2009 | Off the Hook | Danny's Mum/Mrs. Gordon | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Outnumbered | Mrs. Bain | Episode: "The Robbers" |
| 2010 | Skins | Anne | Episode: "Emily" |
| 2010 | The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret | Ms Whitehead | Episode: "The Snooker Player, the Black Canadian, the Turkish Terrorist, and the Peanut" |
| 2011 | North by Northamptonshire | Jan (voice) | Radio series |
| 2011 | Lead Balloon | Libby | Episode: "Off" |
| 2011 | Happy Clapper | Cath | Short film |
| 2011 | Comedy Showcase | Meriel | Episode: "Chickens" |
| 2011 | Chickens | Meriel | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2011 | Rab C. Nesbitt | Reverend Biddulph | Episode: "Stool" |
| 2011–2012 | Little Crackers | Mrs. Peters/Mrs. Phipps | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Parents | Mary | Episode: "Episode #1.6" |
| 2012 | Just Desserts | Carol | Short film |
| 2012–2013 | Watson & Oliver | Various | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | It's Kevin | Various | Episode: "Episode #1.2" |
| 2013 | Playhouse Presents | Meg | Episode: "Stage Door Johnnies" |
| 2013 | Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa | Lynn Benfield | |
| 2013 | You, Me & Them | Mags | Episode: "Three Dinners" |
| 2014 | The Slammer | Polly Meadows | Episode: "Polly Meadows" |
| 2014 | The Boy in the Dress | Miss Price | Television film |
| 2014 | Mapp & Lucia | Godiva "Diva" Plaistow | 3 episodes |
| 2014–2016 | Hank Zipzer | Miss Adolf | 38 episodes |
| 2015 | Funny Valentines | Isabel | Episode: "Last Chance" |
| 2015 | Two Down | Mrs. Hannon | |
| 2015 | BBC Comedy Feeds | Joy | Episode: "Fishbowl" |
| 2016 | Dad's Army | Elizabeth Mainwaring | |
| 2016 | The Alan Dimension | Wendy (voice) | Short film |
| 2016 | Brief Encounters | Joan | 5 episodes |
| 2016 | Hank Zipzer's Christmas Catastrophe | Miss Adolf | Television film |
| 2016–2019 | The Durrells | Cousin Prue | 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Husk | Mother | Short film |
| 2017 | Porridge | Caroline Hawley | Episode: "The Witness" |
| 2017 | The End of the F***ing World | Jocelyn | Episode: "Episode #1.6" |
| 2017 | Chinese Burn | Sue | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2017-2018 | The Tunnel | Winnie Miles | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | Urban Myths | Paula Strasberg | Episode: "Marilyn Monroe and Billy Wilder" |
| 2018 | Vanity Fair | Arabella Briggs | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Butterfly | Alice | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Zapped | Head Librarian | Episode: "Book" |
| 2018 | Sally4Ever | Eleanor | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | Death on the Tyne | Denise | Television film |
| 2018 | It's Me, Sugar | Paula Strasberg | Short film |
| 2019 | The Road to Brexit | Jill Spiller | Television film |
| 2019 | Lasagne | Betty | Short film |
| 2019 | Four Weddings and a Funeral | Duffy's Mom | Episode: "New Jersey" |
| 2019 | National Theatre Live: A Midsummer Night's Dream | Quince | |
| 2019–2021 | This Time with Alan Partridge | Lynn Benfield | 12 episodes |
| 2020 | Resistance | Mrs. Garner (Emma's Mother) | |
| 2020 | Heart to Heart | Hen Holligan | Short film |
| 2020 | Miss Marx | Helen Demuth | |
| 2021 | The Announcement | Patricia | Short film |
| 2021 | Censor | Valerie | |
| 2021 | Brassic | Lesley Anne | Episode: "Episode #3.1" |
| 2021 | Landscapers | Patricia Wycherley | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Sister Boniface Mysteries | Canoness Basil | Episode: "Lights, Camera, Murder!" |
| 2022 | Hullraisers | Gloria | 2 episodes |
| 2022 | The Train | Tina | 4 episodes |
| 2023 | Tom Jones | Bridget Allworthy | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| 2023 | Black Ops | Superintendent Edwards | 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Beyond Paradise | Margo Martins | 6 episodes |