Studio audience tickets for the new series of Absolutely Fabulous have been snapped up in just a few hours.

A hotline for free tickets opened at 10am this morning, and by early afternoon all the places had been filled.

Filming starts in June on eight new episodes after Jennifer Saunders reconsidered her decision to axe the show.

She originally decided to end the show after three series in 1997, but was tempted back for another run in 2001.

And she decided to pen the new episodes after last year's Christmas special, set in New York, attracted nine million viewers.