| Saffron Monsoon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Name | Saffron Monsoon |
| Gender | Female |
| Actor | Julia Sawalha |
| Time on show | 1992-2012 |
| Seasons | 6 |
| Spouses | John Johnston (former husband)
Nick (current boyfriend) |
| Nickname | Saffy, Saf, Sweetie Darling (Eddy), Bitch Troll from Hell (Patsy), Hairy Hobbit (Patsy), Miserable Turnip (Patsy) |
| Occupation | Student (former), charity worker (current) |
| Family | Edina Monsoon (Mother) Justin (Father) Lola (Daughter) Serge Turtle (Half-Brother) |
Saffron Monsoon (known also as Saffy) is one of the main characters in the BBC programme Absolutely Fabulous, played by Julia Sawalha. She is the daughter of Edina Monsoon and Justin and was born on 17 March 1975 in London.
Series[]
In flashback sequences in the show, it appears that Edina intended to have Saffron adopted immediately after her birth and according to Patsy, they tried to abandon her on many occasions. Although most people call her "Saffy", Eddy usually refers to her as "sweetie", "darling", "sweetie-darling" and twice "little budgerigar" – meaning, according to Saunders, the voice of conscience in the household. Patsy, on the other hand, calls her "you little bitch troll from hell" etc. As the ever-virtuous intellectual, Saffy is the perfect foil for Eddy and Patsy, enduring abuse from both.
Saffron is seen to defend her mother, especially from the controlling influence of Patsy. Saffron encourages her mother to have a boyfriend and an active sex life, something Patsy denies her (presumably for fear of losing the constant attention she craves). Saffron performs nearly all the domestic tasks (even for a brief period when she leaves home), due to her mother's complete inability to look after herself. Saffron was also the only one to grieve when her maternal grandfather died, in contrast to the complete indifference of her mother and grandmother.
She dresses modestly and almost always behaves responsibly; as a result, many unpleasant chores come her way, and she frequently must rescue Patsy and Edina from sticky situations. Despite this, Patsy resents Saffron so intensely that she sold her into slavery whilst in Morocco. Her mother sometimes treats her affectionately, repeatedly reminding Saffron that she does love her, and in one episode, even defends her honour against a university professor who is married with children and deceitfully tries to seduce Saffron, by punching him in the face. Throughout each series, Edina longs for a more exotic, fashionable daughter, and frequently tells her so. Saffron, for her part, passionately wishes to belong to a more normal family, and is once arrested for spying on a random family for her "Observations Diary". Her older brother Serge ran away from home in desperation as a teenager and never calls or writes; nevertheless, he is Edina's favourite child, even though she can no longer remember what he looks like.
In series 4, after completing her education at Regent's College London, she writes a play about her life with her mother called Self-Raising Flower; she means the play to be tragic and is confused when the audience starts laughing. At one point, she becomes involved with New Labour, and says her role model is Cherie Blair. In series 5, when she returns home pregnant from a stint of humanitarian work in Uganda, Edina has nightmares at the prospect of being a grandmother until she learns that Saffron's lover, John Johnson, is black, making the baby mixed race and, as such, a fabulous fashion accessory -– "the Chanel of babies!" Saffron later gives birth to a daughter and names her Jane; Edina, however, persists in calling her "Lola". Saffron and John try to form a relationship and in White Box she travels to Africa to marry him. She returns with only Jane and reveals to her grandmother that although the marriage took place, she is one of John's many wives.
At some point, Saffron became the legal owner of the house in which she and Edina live; it had previously belonged to her father. In the episode "White Box", she at last liberates herself from her mother and Patsy by throwing them out but shortly after, she is arrested for falsifying documents for asylum seekers attempting to relocate to Great Britain. She served two years before being released from prison, at which time she allowed her mum to continue to live in the house so long as she also allows her grandmother to stay there.
According to Saunders in 2011, Saffron is now 40 years old.
In 2012, the Olympic special revealed that Saffron splits her time between her Mother and her new family, living three months in the UK and another in Nigeria with John and Jane respectively so she can continue her charity work. She states that she actually enjoys the company of the other wives, saying they make her feel very special. Jane remains with John during this time which Saffron claims is for schooling, however Edina suspects it's to keep her away. Whether this is the real reason or not remains unclear.
In the 2016 movie, Saffron reveals she and John are divorced and seems to have accepted that Jane (who is now living in London full-time) is known as 'Lola'. Saffron is dating a Policeman known as Nick (Robert Webb).