'Patsy and Edina' named honorary New Yorkers

Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders were named honorary New Yorkers as officials declared it Absolutely Fabulous week.

Whoopi Goldberg also presented them with special human rights awards at a gay pride ceremony at New York City Hall.

Absolutely Fabulous is especially popular among the American gay community and Saunders is something of a gay icon.

Journalist and lesbian rights campaigner Ann Northrop admitted she fancied the comic as she accepted a community civil rights award.

"Lesbians watch Absolutely Fabulous too, partly because its so funny, but also because some of us have a big crush on Jennifer Saunders. How could I not?" she said.

Saunders looked a little taken aback by the revelation, but politely shook her admirer's hand.

"I just want to say, like, I really just wanted to say, cheers and thanks a lot," Lumley said in the voice of her drunken Ab Fab character Patsy.

Hollywood star Goldberg said she had no desire to sleep with the decadent duo, but joked: "I've been on both sides of the block. Actually I'm in the middle right now."

Lumley said she thought the show's mixture of "glamour, fashion and showing-off" had made it popular with the gay community.

New York State Senate Democratic leader Martin Connor said: "Absolutely Fabulous has huge appeal to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, but even more important that laughs, the show has depicted these disenfranchised communities in positive and affirming ways and that is helpful in the struggle for civil rights."