In 1979, Dame Edna was the subject of a BBC Arena mockumentary: "La Dame aux Gladiolas."

Dame Edna is known for her lilac-coloured hair (which she claims is natural) and over-the-top Elton John-style eyeglasses.

While Humphries freely states that Dame Edna is a character he plays, Dame Edna consistently denies being a fictional character or drag performer, and refers to Humphries as her "entrepreneur" or manager. Indeed, Dame Edna has frequently said that the thought of a man dressing up as a woman for entertainment purposes is repulsive.

According to Dame Edna's autobiography, and to statements she has made, she was born Edna May Beazley in the (then) small rural town of Wagga Wagga, and started her stage career on December 19, 1955 as Mrs Norm Everage, an "average Australian housewife" from Moonee Ponds, a Melbourne suburb. When her husband, Norm Stoddard Everage, died of prostate cancer, Dame Edna became the founder and governor of a charity called Friends of the Prostate, and the creator of The World Prostate Olympics.

She spends her time visiting world leaders and jet-setting between her homes in Los Angeles, London, Sydney, Switzerland and Martha's Vineyard. She is a friend and confidante of the Queen.

Dame Edna has three adult children: a daughter named Valmai (currently in shoplifters rehabilitation programme) and two sons, Bruce and Kenneth, who are described in various terms that suggest they may be gay men who are partly in the closet, though she shows no awareness of the possibility. Dame Edna's mother is incarcerated in a "maximum-security twilight home."

Besides these family members, who are never seen, her elderly "bridesmaid" Madge Allsop, a New Zealander from Palmerston North, is often present during Dame Edna's appearances and television shows, but never speaks a word, though she is often the butt of Dame Edna's jokes.

Dame Edna's appeared at the Closing Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games 2006 in Melbourne, Australia. During her act she sang a song containing her thoughts on Melbourne and Australia in general. More recently (20th of May, 2006) she appeared on ITV's coverage of The Prince's Trust annual fundraiser. She took part in a Blind Date themed skit, picking Chico Slimani over Roger Moore and Richard E Grant.

In 2000 and 2004, Dame Edna appeared on Broadway. These were ostensibly not "performances," but rather "appearances," with Dame Edna giving monologues and interacting with audience members.