Television industryDame Edna comes to aid of Ally McBeal
Dame Edna Everage, the gladioli-loving Australian housewife who delighted British audiences with her acerbic chat show, has been given a starring role in the troubled US series, Ally McBeal.
Dame Edna, played by comedian Barry Humphries, is the latest in a string of unlikely celebrities to be drafted in to try to save the comedy drama, about a thirtysomething lawyer who can't find a man.
Confusingly Dame Edna will not play herself but will take on the role of Claire Otoms, an eccentric lawyer doing battle with telephone companies over nuisance sales calls.
It is the first time she has played another character and been credited in the cast list without reference to Humphries.
The producers are keeping the plot tightly under wraps, although a spokesman said the role would be "consistent with the Dame Edna character".
The Australian will star alongside rock star Jon Bon Jovi, who has been hired to play a builder who becomes Ally McBeal's new love interest.
Bon Jovi replaces Robert Downey Junior, who was sacked last year after failing to conquer his drug addiction. His departure led to a ratings slump that may threaten the future of the show, once hugely popular among key under-35s.
Ally McBeal has had a series of guests in recent episodes, including Mariah Carey, who played a woman who was "undateable". Elton John and Sting have both also played cameo roles in the show.
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