India-born actress is Britain's favourite celebrity mum

The screen and television actress, who has been leading a feisty campaign on behalf of Gurkha ex-soldiers, was voted favourite mum in a poll of 2,000 people by the Disney Channel.

India-born British actress Joanna Lumley is the celebrity most people would like to have as their mother, according a poll published on Monday.

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The screen and television actress, who has been leading a feisty campaign on behalf of Gurkha ex-soldiers, was voted favourite mum in a poll of 2,000 people by the Disney Channel.

Ironically, one of 63-year-old Lumley's best-loved roles is that of an outrageous single woman in the British television serial "Absolutely Fabulous".

The character, Patsy, is addicted to tobacco, alcohol and sex, views her best friend's young daughter as a rival, has an unsuccessful sex-change, and is one of the few foreign tourists to try and smuggle marijuana into - rather than out of - Morocco.

Lumley was born in Srinagar to a father who was in the British Indian Army's 6th Gurkha Rifles and spent her early life in India.

Hip entrepreneur Richard Branson, who founded the Virgin Group, was top fantasy dad while footballer David Beckham and pop singer Cheryl Cole were selected the ideal celebrity brother and sister.

Nearly a third of those polled chose the Attenboroughs, including celebrated filmmaker Richard Attenborough and veteran broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough as the most talented celebrity family in Britain.

They were followed by the McCartneys (ex-Beatle Paul and his fashion designer daughter Stella) and the Redgraves, the distinguished acting dynasty.

Until the second part was discovered last year and the halves united by Norwegian scientists, the significance of the fossil went unnoticed.