Some things in life just always come as a pair. Fish and chips. Gin and tonic. French and Saunders.

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders’s hugely successful comedy career included their long-running sketch show, the sitcom Girls On Top, tours, podcasts and more. As Dawn celebrated the release of her upcoming book, Enough, she reminisced on where the friendship all began – and what might be next for the pair.

Appearing on This Morning, Dawn shared how it wasn’t necessarily love at first sight - initially thinking they were the 'wrong mixture' to get along - but today, after babies, loss and all the trappings of life, their friendship is 'more important than anything else'.

Speaking to Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Dawn said the pair first met at college back in the 1970s. 'She's very different to me in many ways, and yet we're very similar in other ways. When I met her, she was very confident, very beautiful, a bit sort of enigmatic.

'And I arrived at college, you know, bouncing and full of everything… I remember thinking, I know she's out of my league, she won't be my friend.

'Then a flat became available, which both of us wanted. And I remember when I got a place in that flat, which seven of us shared together, and I found out she was also going to be there, and I thought, ‘oh, no, not her’.

'But, you know, cut to a week later with best mates. And honestly, I just love the bones of her.'

She continued, 'We've known each other for so long now… we've been through births and deaths and illnesses and everything together. So the love is very strong. The friendship is more important than anything else.'

Over the May Bank Holiday weekend, Dawn dug even deeper into her bond with the Absolutely Fabulous star - offering a look at how Jennifer was there during one of Dawn’s toughest moments.

Speaking at the literary Hay Festival, Dawn shared that she met Jennifer not long after her father died by suicide.

'I went straight to college within weeks of my dad dying and my mum insisted on that. My mum was massively strong… She wanted us to carry on as normal and do the best we could.

'So I went to college, sort of dripping with grief and pretending to be cheerful, and meeting [Jennifer] there, you know, who very much, very quickly saw through all this.

Dawn shared how Jennifer's family took her under her wing.

'[Jennifer's] dad was amazing to me. The minute he met me and knew my story, he sort of stepped up as a bit of a surrogate dad to me, and so that’s a brilliant thing that happened there.'

Perhaps it’s not surprising why the friendship remains so important to them both. But what about working together again?

When asked by Cat and Ben if the pair would ever reunite on screens, Dawn had some good news for fans. 'We talk about it all the time and then we go off and do other things and forget. We've got a few ideas for things. And I would never say never.'

The pair briefly reunited on screens in 2022, appearing with Judi Dench in a Repair Shop sketch. And while it might not be a French and Saunders original, the pair are actually appearing on stage together for the first time in 17 years later this year.

They will join the star-studded line-up for the London Palladium’s Cinderella panto, playing the parts of the Ugly Sisters.

Dawn French’s encounter with this iconic royal was far from a fairytale encounter.

The Vicar of Dibley star – who previously opened up on how one of the sitcom’s most iconic scenes left her injured for life – is busy promoting her latest book and tour, and she’s shared a new story involving a notable royal.

During an appearance on ITV’s This Morning on Friday, Dawn talked about her meeting with the Queen Mother – but it wasn’t quite the glamorous, happy memory one might have expected.

Speaking on the morning chat show, Dawn explained, “I was four. It was horrifyingly scary. We'd done curtsy practice. She came to my dad's army base. I was expecting unicorns and crowns and neither turned up. I'm fuming.”

“A woman in a lilac outfit smiled at me and her teeth were brown. When you're four that's a witch. I would not speak to her.”

Dawn is currently doing the rounds promoting her latest book, the hilariously titled The Tw*t Files: A hilarious sort-of memoir of mistakes, mishaps and mess-ups.

The autobiography was released on October 12, and some of the key highlights from the memoir include the reason she suddenly decided to quit French & Saunders, her iconic comedy sketch show with best friend (and Absolutely Fabulous icon) Jennifer Saunders.

In a painfully frank confession, Dawn revealed there was a moment filming the show which left her feeling “ugly.”

Explaining the “tipping point” and how it involved pop star Anastacia, Dawn shared how she and Jennifer were filming the scene in the toilets in the BBC building.

In the scene, Dawn had a fantasy that Anastacia would hear her sing and invite her to join her onstage. Anastacia stars in the sketch, overhearing the conversation, and made Dawn’s dreams come true in the scene.

However, Dawn writes in her new book that seeing herself in the comic cowgirl costume her character wore to perform alongside Anastacia left her feeling “so ugly.”

She writes, “I'd often voluntarily, happily been 'ugly' for hundreds of sketches. I've never minded what something looks like, as long as it's servicing the joke right. The mirror was clearly telling me why this was so painfully abhorrent. Because the joke was on me.”

After finishing the scene, Dawn writes she “burst into hot, angry tears” and “sobbed” all the way home.  And that was it. A historic decision to end the long-running series was made.

However, in an interview with The Times, Dawn insisted that Jennifer didn't try to stop her, explaining she had a true friend’s support.

“Jennifer would never fight me on something so big. She does say now, 'What the f*** were you thinking? We could have sorted that easily.' But it wasn't a problem.”

As for her, she has never regretted her decision, adding, “I think it was time to go to another chapter, and you have to know when that happens.”

It was one of the most memorable scenes in British sitcom history– and arguably a highlight of Dawn French’s illustrious career in comedy. But re-enacting an iconic Vicar of Dibley moment actually left the beloved comedian in agony for the last 14 years.

Most people will remember the scene. Dawn’s Geraldine Granger walks hand in hand with her new partner, high on life, and she decides to playfully jump in a puddle.

Classic country life things. But in the hilarious scene, the Vicar of Dibley seriously misjudged the depth of the puddle and ends up almost fully submerged in water.

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Dawn French has become an accidental fashion influencer, and it’s all thanks to... tea towels

Comedy gold – and an instant classic. But Dawn French, who played the lead character for more than a decade, has revealed that an attempt to recreate that very moment left her walking with a cane and in constant agony for years.

During one of her recent stops on her sell-out tour, Dawn revealed it was rather “emotional” looking at a picture of her appearing on the Paul O’Grady Show in 2009 – because it was the last time she had “two functioning legs.”

Speaking at her one-woman show in Exeter last week about the “catastrophically misguided” idea to recreate that moment, she explained, “They constructed a 10ft-high hill out of scaffolding covered in AstroTurf. The idea was that there was a long enough drop for me to disappear into.”

“Then some bright spark had the idea of having a shallow silicon membrane containing two inches of water on top so that, as I jumped through, the water would splash up and look like a deep puddle.”

This is where the story takes a turn. She continued, “But what was I falling on to? The answer is absolutely nothing. Except for 10ft below there were two very thin crash mats in a film studio with a flat concrete floor. Any fool would know this was a disaster in the making. Any fool but me.”

“The producers took me to show me and see if I was all right with it. And I replied: ‘Of course I’m all right with it, I’m British.’”

Ploughing ahead with a can-do spirit ended in years of agony.

As Dawn explained, “One leg twisted very awkwardly underneath me and I landed very heavily. I heard the worst twanging noise you could ever imagine. I knew I was in trouble but I completed the sketch. I clearly felt like I’d rather die than admit weakness.”

The incident caused her such pain she walked with a cane and was facing the prospect of knee surgery.

Meeting with a specialist who usually deals with extreme sport trauma, Dawn revealed, “He said I was going to need a knee replacement in the future. He said he’d inject me in the knee with a steroid and I could only have three of these injections.”

For now, the comedian handles the pain with three injections a year.

If you want to catch Dawn French in action, she’s currently travelling the UK with her (controversially titled) Dawn French is a Huge Tw*t tour. Dates run until November.

Dawn French has once again proved that there’s very little she can’t do – as she becomes a fashion influencer and trendsetter while sporting a bunch of tea towels.

Yep, you read that correctly.

The Vicar of Dibley actress shared a new snap with her over 700,000 followers on Instagram, showing off a new outfit that many are already clambering to recreate – and it’s actually very cost effective to do so.

That’s because this outfit – which over 70,000 people have already liked - takes recycling and upcycling to new extremes.

As Dawn explained in the caption, the colourful, unique looking outfit was a “dress made from vintage tea towels.”

While it might sound like something from one of Dawn’s comical skits, the dress looks far from farcical – in fact, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it from a high fashion designer.

Indeed, the flowing vibes given off by the outfit is very on trend with a boho capsule wardrobe top of the list for many fashion followers this summer.  

Boasting bold colour hues, boho style loose sleeves, a kaftan-style cut with a midi hemline, and an abstract illustration print, Dawn looked perfectly chic and summer ready in the tea towel outfit.

She paired the colourful outfit with some trademark Dawn French touches, including chunky black boots, dark, glittery eyeshadow, and her signature, sleek grey bob.

Proving how effortlessly she can become a trend-setter, Dawn’s followers were quick to want in on the action.

One fan wrote, “How bloomin’ fabulous is that! (Goes to find old tea towels and sewing machine…).”

A second fan added, “This. Is. Genius. Thank you for the idea!”

Celebrity pal Fearne Cotton added that she was “obsessed” and another fashion fan added that the outfit was “Very Dolce” (most likely referring to Dolce and Gabbana, the Italian fashion house who are known for similar prints and styles – just, not usually in the form of tea towels. 

Dawn tagged the designer of the dress in the post, someone called Lady Boo (@LadyBooSalutesYou).

Lady Boo’s own Instagram profile explains how she sells “handpicked vintage and handmade jewellery.”

If you ever love any of Dawn’s unique pieces, Lady Boo actually hosts open houses in Crystal Palace, London, which she explains is a time to “shop vintage and eat cake.”

Dawn becoming a fashion influencer on social media might seem unexpected, but she’s proven in the past to never know what she’s going to post next.

Earlier this year, she had fans in stitches with a hilarious new boyfriend announcement.

Joking that she had taken up with actor Idris Elba, Dawn kept fans laughing as she joked about his X-rated antics off camera.

“Idris, stop it. Seriously, I'm trying to do something witty and alluring for Instagram,” she says in the video. "He's doing that thing that boys do. That windmill dance with their down belows. Stop it!”

From the Vicar of Dibley to her endless impressions, Dawn French has been a leading lady in comedy for decades.

But that’s not to say she’s ever resting on her laurels.

Not only did she break the internet with her “new boyfriend” earlier this year and went on a hugely successful tour (with a suitably shocking name), Dawn has delivered what many are calling one of her best performances ever for this year’s Comic Relief.

In the United Kingdom, Comic Relief is an annual fundraiser which unites comedians and other celebrities to raise money for charity.

It was founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis – responsible for movies like Love, Actually and Four Weddings and a Funeral - and comedian (and Dawn’s ex) Lenny Henry in response to the famine in Ethiopia.

For this year’s fundraiser, Dawn turned her comedic talents onto one of the surprise reality hits on both sides of the globe – The Traitors.

Popular after airing a season of non-famous competitors in the UK and a celebrity edition in the United States, the Traitors involves lots of backstabbing and betrayal.

For the skit, Dawn brought together a cast of super famous individuals from different industries.

From Ewan McGregor to model David Gandy, Absolutely Fabulous’ Jennifer Saunders and even Dame Mary Berry, it was a riotous sketch perfectly capped off by Dawn’s spot on impression of BBC host, Claudia Winkleman.

Claudia was such a fan of Dawn’s portrayal the pair posed together earlier this month – giving fans online a case of seeing double!

After the sketch aired, fans took to social media to praise Dawn.

One, a contestant named Maddy who appeared in the UK’s season of The Traitors, wrote about meeting the funny lady, “They say never meet your idols, I say meet them cos @Dawn_French was bloody lovely and really looked out for me and wilf![sic]”

“Dawn French being Claudia Winkleman is one of the funniest impressions I've ever ever seen. ‘I'm Claudia Winkleman, half woman, half fringe.’ I can not stop laughing.”

And the only person who could compete with Dawn’s hilarious sketch is… Dawn herself.

Many fans said that this new skit was only surpassed by a now iconic Comic Relief sketch which saw Dawn French put the french into her kiss with Hugh Grant.

Dawn puckered up to Notting Hill star Hugh in 1995 wearing a dress held together by safety pins – an ode to the Versace look made famous by Hugh’s then girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley.

After playing coy for a while, Dawn and Hugh ended up locking lips for a long, long time – to rapturous laughter.

After she became famous for the kiss, Dawn followed it up with some seriously admirable smooches, including Johnny Depp, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Here's hoping to many more legendary Dawn French appearances for Comic Relief! 

Dawn French debuted a brand new hairstyle on the red carpet in London this week, having switched up her old pixie cut for a sharp silver bob. 

The British comedian attended the West End opening night of Oklahoma! at the Wyndham's Theatre on Tuesday, marking her first public appearance of 2023. 

French went for her trademark monochromatic style for the glitzy event, gracing the red carpet in a bejeweled black dress with a black jacket and black leggings. The 65-year-old teamed her outfit with a shiny black handbag and a pair of comfortable, white-laced black sneakers for a casual twist. The exciting outing comes just a few days after Dawn French's 'new boyfriend' reveal left her devout fans in absolute stitches. 

It was Dawn French's new hair at the West End show, however, that had everybody talking. The Vicar of Dibley star wore a new silver bob at the musical event, having spent most of last year growing out a cropped pixie cut. The sleek hairstyle, which also had a blunt fringe and curled ends, appears to be an updated version of the signature brunette bob French has been known for since breaking onto the showbiz scene in 1994. 

The French and Saunders star first revealed that she decided to stop dying her hair brown during the COVID-19 pandemic, after becoming less motivated to maintain the rigorous color treatments at home.

"The real trigger came during the lockdowns when I was dying my hair myself, and I just couldn’t be bothered to keep doing it," she told Good Housekeeping.

"I let my natural grey come through. I also cut some of it myself - to my hairdresser's alarm!"

French went on to document much of her natural hair growth journey on Instagram, regularly sharing new photos of her silver locks with fans. 

In September 2021, she revealed that she had chopped off all of her dyed hair to start the process of embracing her "old bob" in "full grey glory." 

"Cutting off all the old colour…gradually getting there with the grey… starting short…," she wrote. "It’s a process… I’m not great at patience…"

Fans of the Welsh actor were quick to applaud the move, with many sharing their own experiences of ditching the dye in the comments section below. 

"I did this 4 years ago as I was sick of dying my roots every 2 weeks. Best decision I’ve ever made! Had 18 months of awful hairdos growing out but was so worth it! Now my hair is silver grey all over, completely natural, and the healthiest it’s ever been! Welcome to grey side silver sister," one person wrote. 

Dawn French's 'new boyfriend' reveal is too funny to handle as the comedy legend shares what's going on behind the scenes of their romantic vacation.

If absolute sauce-pot Dawn French's nude selfie wasn't enough to show that she's a spicy lady, her latest video gives us an insight into what really makes her tick. Well, the news is out - Dawn is seeing one of the UK's hottest actors, Idris Elba. Okay, just kidding - or at least we think she is.

In a hilarious post, shared from her sunshine getaway, the comedy goddess spoke on camera about her 'boyfriend' who, interestingly enough' wasn't on camera. Instead, he was being a big old flirty goofball behind the camera.

"Idris, stop it. Seriously, I'm trying to do something witty and alluring for Instagram," she says. "He's doing that thing that boys do. That windmill dance with their down belows. Stop it!"

It's not the first time we've seen her be a little bit cheeky, in fact Dawn French's dirty innuendo was one of the many spicy jokes to come from the star in recent years - and throughout her illustrious career.

Looking sunkissed and exuding natural beauty by the bucket full she continues on the video, which has 'life with Idris' emblazoned across the top. "We're away on holiday together and honestly, he doesn't want me doing anything else but spending time with him."

Glancing behind the camera, as if looking directly at her fella, and suggesting he's begging her to get off the phone she says, "alright, this will have to wait."

Dawn French's 'new boyfriend' may come as a shock to her husband Mark Bignall, and indeed to Idris' wife Sabrina Elba. Actually, it's probably a shock to Luther star Idris too. 

Interesting little TV history fact - one of Idris first roles was on Dawn's comedy partner Jennifer Saunders' iconic show Absolutely Fabulous, where he played a male sex worker who'd been hired by Patsy to entertain herself and Eddie.

The hilarious episode, which aired way back in 1995, was titled Sex and featured a now-famous interaction with Joanna Lumley's character. Sitting on Idris' character's knee she says, "hey, has anyone ever told you that you look a bit like Sean Connery?” To which he replies, “no.”

Although he may be her celebrity crush, the truth is that Dawn is taking a break with her beloved husband Mark. Sharing an image of their sandy toes she said, "first holiday for a year. Heaven. And….breathe…. and …💤."

Mark is the author and comedian's second husband, whom she met after splitting from her husband of 25 years, Lenny Henry. After things ended with Lenny, who she shares her daughter Billie with, meeting therapist Mark took her by surprise.

"I 100% thought I would be on my own - but that didn’t bother me. I was enjoying having time to myself," she told Closer back in 2012. 

“I thought it would be sad if I didn’t have a cuddle with somebody again…but I didn’t need to live vicariously through a man and I didn’t need a knight in shining armour," she added. "I’m not sentimental like that. And then of course that is when I met him, just a couple of days later.”

Cupid's arrow hit bang on target and the pair fell hook, line, and sinker, marrying in 2013. These days, Dawn lives a far more sedate life by the seaside. Swapping the hustle and bustle of London for the wilds of Cornwall, where she lives with her fella.

Only last year, Dawn French debuted her new grey hairstyle, and we firmly believe that transitioning to grey hair may have made her even MORE fabulous.

Dawn French is one of the undisputed queens of British comedy, having worked on classics like the French and Saunders Show and the Vicar of Dibley.

And fans of the funny lady will be pleased to know she is hitting the road on a new UK tour for 2022.

Always one to zig when you expect her to zag—who can forget when she shocked fans with her grey hairstyle or when she took it even further to channel Jamie Lee Curtis with dramatic short hair—Dawn French has taken the unconventional route once again.

This time, Dawn has decided to call her tour something that will definitely grab people’s attention, keeping on trend with her recent penchant for dirty innuendos that delight fans.

Read on to find out what Dawn French’s UK 2022 tour is called and how you can get tickets.

What is the name of Dawn French’s 2022 tour?

The upcoming 2022 UK tour is called Dawn French is a Huge Tw*t.

In a press release for the tour, Dawn explains that the show is named as such “because, unfortunately, it’s horribly accurate.”

“There have been far too many times I have made stupid mistakes or misunderstood something vital or jumped the gun in a spectacular display of tw*ttery. I thought I might tell some of these buttock-clenching embarrassing stories to give the audience a peek behind the scenes of my work life.”

While appearing on chat show, The Graham Norton Show, she gave an example of the stories to expect involving none other than future king, Prince Charles.

Dawn explained how, while attending the premiere of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in which she voiced the role of Mrs Beaver, she told Prince Charles, “Tonight, Your Royal Highness, you will see my beaver.”

Dawn French tour dates

If you’re hoping to get tickets to one of Dawn’s shows, here’s where she will be visiting.

• Northcott Theatre, Exeter—Saturday, September 10, Sunday, September 11
• New Theatre Peterborough—Thursday, September 15
• New Theatre Oxford, Oxford—Friday, September 16
• De Montfort Hall, Leicester—Saturday, September 17
• Victoria Hall, Stoke on Trent—Sunday, September 18
• Sheffield City Hall Oval Hall, Sheffield—Thursday, September 22
• King George’s Hall, Blackburn—Friday, September 23
• St Georges Hall, Bradford—Saturday, September 24
• Royal and Derngate, Northampton—Sunday, September 25
• Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury—Thursday, September 29
• Portsmouth Guildhall, Portsmouth—Friday, September 30
• Cambridge Corn Exchange, Cambridge—Saturday, October 1
• Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-On-Sea—Sunday, October 2
• Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth—Thursday, October 6
• Princess Theatre, Torquay—Friday, October 7
• The Anvil, Basingstoke—Saturday, October 8
• Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry—Sunday, October 9
• Bournemouth Pavilion, Bournemouth—Thursday, October 13
• Congress Theatre, Eastbourne—Friday, October 14
• New Victoria Theatre, Woking—Saturday, October 15
• Ipswich Regent Theatre, Ipswich—Sunday, October 16

Tickets are available from authorized sellers including ATG Tickets and Ticketmaster.

It is believed there will be more locations and dates added in the future, as Dawn responded to a fan on Twitter asking if she will visit any other countries in the UK by saying, “Patience, this is the first leg…”

Dawn French has sparked Strictly speculation after sharing a photo with fan-favorite Strictly professional ahead of new appearance. 

The iconic comedian, writer and actor has long been a national treasure, perhaps known for her brilliant performance as Geraldine in the Vicar of Dibley and her hilarious partnership with Jennifer Saunders. Dawn French’s life lessons have helped pave the way for an exciting and varied career, inspiring fans with everything from her writing to her hairstyle. Last year Dawn French channeled Jamie Lee Curtis with a dramatic short hair cut, leaving many people dreaming of short hairstyles for women over 50 to try out for themselves.

And Dawn’s pixie cut looked just as beautiful as she took to Instagram with a cryptic post that featured none other than Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe. The professional dancer was Strictly Come Dancing 2021 runner-up with John Whaite and has captured fans’ hearts throughout his time on the BBC show. 

Now it seems he’s won Dawn’s love too as the delighted comedian revealed she’ll be on The Graham Norton Show to reveal big news on February 17.

“So… THIS HAPPENED tonight. Am in love with @johannesradebe”, she wrote delightedly. “On @thegrahamnortonshowofficial on Fri to talk about somethin exciting…Thanks to @charlieduffymakeup @mdlondon @rachelfanconi @calmamongstthechaos”. 

It’s not yet clear exactly what that “something” could be and with Dawn’s talents so far-reaching it could be anything from her novel-writing career to her comedy. 

Though the presence of Johannes, who is set to join her on Graham’s red sofa, hasn’t gone unnoticed as Dawn Drench sparked Strictly speculation. 

So much so that many Dawn French fans are already dreaming of a Strictly 2022 announcement to come from the pair… 

"1st 2022 strictly pairing xxx🌟”, one person speculated.

Another agreed, making good use of the praying emoji as they wrote, “Strictly this year? 🤔🤔🙏🙏”.

“Now that’s a partnership I’d like to see 💖” a third person replied excitedly. 

Whilst someone else is keeping their fingers crossed for a dream come true as they wrote, “Gorgeous pairing...my dream would be you as a couple on Strictly! Dreams can come true....!🙌❤️💃🕺”. 

“@dawnrfrench please tell me you’re going to be on Strictly 😍” a fellow fan implored. 

Sadly, despite these heart-warming responses, it's highly unlikely for a Strictly contestant announcement this early in the year. Though whatever Dawn does reveal will no doubt be just as exciting and whilst Dawn French's future might not feature sequins, Sambas and spray tans on Strictly after all, it seems this is one partnership people can't help but hope for. 

Dawn French's nude selfie has stunned her Instagram followers, as fans and celebrities praise her incredible natural beauty. 

Back in 2021 Dawn French shocked fans with a new grey hairstyle, and it seems that the icon of comedy is continuing to show off her enviable glow. 

In the photo, shared with her devoted followers, received high praise from celebrity fans like Spice Girl Emma Bunton who said, "You beautiful lady. Love you to bits. X."

Tom Read Wilson added, "Gordon Bennett! You are beautiful!"

The comedian, TV star, and author is currently on holiday and the photo shows her in the bath, relaxing and taking time to enjoy the view. 

Among Dawn French's big life lessons is the fact that no matter what anybody else says or thinks, self-love is all that matters.

The comedian hit the headlines back in 2014 after a remarkable seven-stone weight loss, which led to many people speculating about how and why she embarked on such a major change. The change was in fact relating to an operation, which she explained during her 30 Million Minutes tour. 

She said, "When I was due to have my hysterectomy the doctor told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via keyhole, and I would recover in three weeks or so. Otherwise, it would be big open surgery, and three months to recover.”

Above all, Dawn's message is about self-love and speaking on French & Saunders: Titting About, Dawn said, "I’ve gone back to being an entire barrel but do you know what, I’m going to be 63 this year, I don’t give a f***, I really don’t, so long as I can walk. 

She continued, "I’m not going to be stingy to myself anymore. I never did dislike anything about my body, even when I was very, very fat. I refuse to be forced to dislike myself."

Dawn added, "I used to get really angry when I did lose weight, people going, ‘You look so well,’ as if you looked awful before—rewarding you for managing it, which is not easy, I accept that. But I didn’t want people to give me approval. It’s so patronizing."

Dawn French makes surprising admission about her famous Vicar of Dibley character.

Dawn French is synonymous with her much-loved Vicar of Dibley character, Geraldine—whom she played for four years from 1994 to 1998.

And while the nation loved Geraldine more than most, the comedian has confessed she’s since found herself apologizing to real-life reverends. 

Dawn—who recently debuted her new grey hair—admitted women in the church are often nicknamed “Geraldine” after the star. To which she usually responds, “'I'm so sorry.”

Thankfully, Dawn’s hilarious portrayal of church life has “normalized” women of the cloth. 

Speaking to Rylan Clark-Neal on his Ry-Union podcast, Dawn explained, “They say, ‘Don't say sorry, because it normalised it all' – that's the power of comedy.”

Dawn went on to reveal that she researched her character through conversations with female vicar Joy Caroll.

Detailing the questions she’d ask her when preparing for Geraldine, Dawn listed, “'I needed to ask her questions… how you wear the dog collar with the dress? What do you earn? Are you allowed to s**g your boyfriend? She just opened her heart.”

Dawn’s schedule is far less gruelling than it used to be during the Vicar of Dibley days, and she’s since relocated to Cornwall to enjoy her “autumn years”.

Citing her reasons behind the decision to leave London in 2006, she told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast she found city life too much.

There always seemed too much to do in London for Dawn. “I find the clutter of it overwhelming. I think I’m not meant for a city… that isn’t the real me. The real me is quiet.”

Whereas in Cornwall, Dawn feels calm. “There is, without a doubt, beauty here. I can do nothing but connect with that.

“It makes me calm, it makes me happier and it sort of enthuses my mind with better ways of thinking.”

Dawn utilises this time and space to put pen to paper, and is now a hugely successful author.

One of Dawn’s most recent books, Because of You is described as a “tear-jerker” in which the power of mother love will be tested to its limits.

And it’s something Dawn—who recently sold her home in Cornwall for a more low-key lifestyle—has experience with, having shared a rocky relationship with her daughter over the years.

Opening up about their challenges, Dawn previously said, “I haven’t got a kid who wants to read with me and have adventures with me, I’ve got a different kind of kid who’s a different kind of set of challenges and that’s been my lesson.

“Our relationship exists in a bizarre kind of process of peacetime, small battles, war. The peacetime is much more than the other two energies, but we have our wars.”

Despite their differences, it seems Dawn and Billie are in a better place now. “My biggest test and my biggest joy,” she said of her relationship with Billie. “But it is unbreakable."

Dawn French has debuted her ‘Jamie Lee Curtis’ inspired hairdo—the latest stage in her quest to grow out a full-gray bob. 

The British comedian shared an exciting update on her new gorgeous gray color on Monday, two weeks after debuting the makeover to her adoring fans in September. 

Dawn's pixie cut, which is a popular short hairstyle for women over 50, marks a major shift from her signature long locks. Along with her iconic role on the hilarious French and Saunders, Dawn has always been well-known for her straight black bob—having first fallen in love with the blunt style more than 15 years ago.

After years of her rocking the same haircut, it’s no wonder the Vicar of Dibley star's fans are delighted to see a change. 

Of course, like most dramatic transformations, Dawn’s gray goal hasn’t been an overnight process. As anyone who’s ever colored their hair knows, growing out dye can be a painstaking journey. And if you’re trying to regain your original length in its virgin color—like Dawn—you’ll need some serious discipline. Transitioning to grey hair can take anywhere from six months to a year, and if you've been using dark dyes, you're looking at an even longer timespan. 

Dawn revealed she is “aiming at the ol’ bob in full gray glory” by “cutting off all the old color” and “gradually getting there with the gray.” 

“I’m not great at patience,” she added. 

Luckily for Dawn, she’s had some Hollywood-style inspiration to keep her spirits up during this transition phase. Having already achieved “three shades of gray”, she has taken the plunge and “chopped even more off.” This latest edit to her haircut has given her an uncanny resemblance to another fabulous A-lister. 

“I’m thinking I’m giving it solid Jamie Lee Curtis,” she revealed. While plenty of Dawn’s followers were quick to see the likeness, her husband, Mark Bignall, isn’t convinced. 

“Husband says I’m giving it full Anne Hegerty… Righto,” she said. "In your face husband, coz BOTH are Ishtar.” 

While Jamie Lee has yet to respond to the shout-out, The Chase quizzer herself has acknowledged the nod. She gave her stamp of approval on the look, taking to Twitter to share her reaction. 

"Looks fabulous!" Anne wrote. We have to agree! 

Dawn French is the latest star to pay tribute to Joan Washington, who tragically passed away earlier this week. 

The comedian took to Twitter to pay tribute to Richard E. Grant's wife and described her as a "phenomenal woman".

Dawn—who has grieved her own marriage—wrote, "Joan Washington will ALWAYS be remembered by those of us who knew her & were taught by her, as a PHENOMENAL WOMAN. So much love to & all the family."

The English actor confirmed the tragic news in a touching tribute post to his life-partner of nearly four decades. Taking to Instagram to honor Joan, Richard posted a heart-wrenching video of the couple slow dancing together at home. 

"Our hearts are broken with the loss of your Life last night," the Oscar-nominated actor captioned the clip. "35 years married and 38 together. To be truly known and seen by you, is your immeasurable gift. Do not forget us, sweet Monkee-m." 

Richard also called Joan the "Love of my Life" as well as the "giver of Life to our daughter Olivia". 

It's clear Joan touched the lives of so many in the industry, including Dawn—who had been taught by Joan previously.

Joan worked as a vocal coach and may have rubbed shoulders with Dawn on French and Saunders or Vicar of Dibley.

She was well-known and well-loved within the industry, as well as by her husband Richard. 

The pair met in 1982 and fell in love soon after.

In a joint interview back in 2001, Richard explained, "I met her at the Actors' Centre in London. She was wearing a boiler suit and had fairly short, cropped hair and Kicker shoes, and was chain-smoking, which I thought was insane.

"She was teaching an accent session with a bunch of actors, and I thought she had the most wonderful voice and huge, sort of monkey eyes. She seemed fairly frenetic.

"I thought that she was really cute and all that. It was December 1982."

Are thoughts are with Richard and his family.  

We shine a spotlight on inspiring women like Dawn French to tell you more about their daily lives and most relatable moments. Our in-depth profiles cover everything from how these women juggle work and play, to their most important relationships, and the pearls of wisdom they have to offer other women—with no detail spared.

Dawn French has been the UK's resident funny woman since breaking onto the scene back in the '80s. She's provided countless laughs on French & Saunders and Vicar of Dibley and continues to serve fans with regular funny content via her social media channels. But away from the limelight and behind the scenes, Dawn has fought several battles of her own. 

From losing her father to suicide aged 19, turning to adoption after years of fertility struggles, and moving on from a very public split from husband-of-25-years, Lenny Henry, things haven't always been plain sailing for Dawn. So how has the comedian kept on smiling? And what wisdom does she have to share with the rest of us? 

How old is Dawn French?

Dawn French was born on 11 October 1957, making her 63 years —and Dawn is certainly keen to grow old gracefully. Unlike some women who dread the aging process, Dawn has always been incredibly open to the prospect of getting older, often referring to her current age as her "autumn" years. After years of grueling TV schedules filming The Vicar of Dibley and French and Saunders, Dawn's priorities have changed in life and the comedy actress now craves the "quiet" life.

“I am enjoying the place I’m in,” she said a few years ago. “I realize I’m right there in autumn and I can’t see the point in resisting it. This is what 60 looks like.”

Dawn recently shared a candid picture on Instagram, embracing her gray hair. She captioned the picture, "Going lighter bit by bit to happily welcome the grey… with an undercut surprise..! Hello there woman in her 60s…." How refreshing!

Where does Dawn French live?

Having spent years in London, Dawn relocated to Cornwall in 2006 and recently sold her beloved home in Fowey and moved to a lesser-known part of the coast. Citing her reasons behind the decision to retreat to Cornwall, she told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast she found city life “overwhelming”. There always seemed too much to do in London for Dawn. “I find the clutter of it overwhelming. I think I’m not meant for a city… that isn’t the real me. The real me is quiet.”

Whereas in Cornwall, Dawn feels calm. “There is, without a doubt, the beauty here. I can do nothing but connect with that. It makes me calm, it makes me happier and it sort of enthuses my mind with better ways of thinking.”.

Having grown up in Cornwall, Dawn feels a sense of belonging by the coast. “I find quiet there. I have been noisy all my life and loved it but essentially I am a quiet person," she added. "I’ve gone back to where my family are. The sense of my mum is there and that is home for me."

Who is Dawn French's mum?

Dawn French was born in Wales to Felicity Roma and Denys Vernon French. Her father committed suicide when Dawn was just 19. She enjoyed an incredibly close relationship with her mum right up until her death aged 77 in 2012 and paid tribute to her "inspirational" character.

Dawn French's mother dedicated her life to helping others and was the driving force behind several drug and alcohol rehab centers. She even advised the government on drug-related issues. Dawn—who took time out of work to care for her mother towards the end of her life—was shocked at how quickly her condition deteriorated.

“Mum was well at Christmas and dead in March, so it was terribly quick,” she revealed at the time. At first, we thought she had ­pneumonia and I think she did have pneumonia. But then we discovered that was on top of lung cancer. We got a diagnosis of that on the Friday and she was dead by the following Thursday.”

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On the legacy Roma left behind, Dawn told the Daily Mirror, "My mum was the most amazing woman, who had a quietly remarkable life but helped many, many people. If I had even a quarter of my mother’s strength I’d be extremely grateful. That would get me through, most certainly."

Despite her amazing achievements, Roma didn't revel in the publicity of it all. “She just did it very, very quietly and helped a lot of people.”

Does Dawn French have children?

Dawn has one daughter Billie and two stepchildren, Lily, 29, and Olly, 26. The Vicar of Dibley star famously keeps Billie—the daughter she adopted with ex-husband Lenny Henry when she was just two weeks old—out of the spotlight, but she has previously spoken about their complex relationship. 

Opening up about their challenges, Dawn—told The Sunday Telegraph, “I haven’t got a kid who wants to read with me and have adventures with me, I’ve got a different kind of kid who’s a different kind of set of challenges and that’s been my lesson. Our relationship exists in a bizarre kind of process of peacetime, small battles, war. The peacetime is much more than the other two energies, but we have our wars.”

Despite their differences, it seems Dawn and Billie are in a better place now that Billie is in her late twenties. “My biggest test and my biggest joy,” she said of her relationship with Billie. “But it is unbreakable."

Revealing more in an interview with Hello!, she said, “We have the same amount of mother/daughter friction that any mum and daughter have, it's no more or less. But I've learnt a lot about her. And she's learnt a lot about me.”

Dawn and ex-husband Lenny ended up adopting after years of fertility struggles. Opening up to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast, Dawn explained, "I knew I wanted to definitely be a mother that was a very strong instinct. Then what happened was my body wouldn't let me be a mother and everything kept failing all the time for all sorts of reasons. We had to make a big decision, to put aside IVF and go for adoption."

While it took them a while to become parents, Dawn said she learned a lot from her own mother on how to parent successfully. “I certainly have the face of my mother but I think we were very different people. She was very gentle and I have a shorter temper. But I’ve tried to emulate her as a parent," she told the Daily Mirror. “I think the greatest lesson I learnt from Mum about mothering was to try to be selfless."

Although Dawn keeps family life very private, she did thrill fans with a rare snap of Billie earlier this year. Sharing a close-up picture of a pair of lips, Dawn wrote, “Some lips I love.”

Billie is seen in the photo trialing two different shades of lipstick to create a heart shape and fans love her bold style. “Gorgeous Billie I presume,” wrote one online user, while another said, “So random, I love it!”

Does Dawn French have a husband?

Yes, Dawn is married to Mark Bignell—a 56-year-old therapist. The pair tied the knot back in 2013 and live together in Cornwall with their cat Mowzer and dog Goodie. The comedian met Mark through a charity he co-founded with her late mother, Hamoaze House. And he had no idea who she was before they met.

"I'm not boasting, but you'd actually have to have not watched television for the past 20 years to have avoided me, and he'd managed to do just that," Dawn told Saga magazine. 

After splitting from her husband of 25 years, Lenny Henry, in 2010, Dawn wasn't looking for love when she met Mark. "I 100% thought I would be on my own—but that didn’t bother me. I was enjoying having time to myself," she told Closer. 

"I thought it would be sad if I didn’t have a cuddle with somebody again… but I didn’t need to live vicariously through a man and I didn’t need a knight in shining armour, I’m not sentimental like that. And then of course that is when I met him, just a couple of days later."

Are Dawn French and Lenny Henry still friends?

Dawn felt "broken" following the breakdown of her 25-year marriage to Lenny Henry ten years ago but the pair have managed to remain incredibly close friends. While it took Dawn a long time to "grieve" their marriage, the couple has come out the other side. “I have mended myself. I have seen what happens if you stay broken. When I was single I found my new self. But I think it is OK to grieve over a relationship," she told the Mirror.

“Remarkably, we seem to have shifted with relative ease from a 25-year marriage to a lasting friendship. I am amazed by us—there is no war, we’ve turned out to be the best of friends," she said during an appearance on Loose Women last year. “There were lots of good years but one tricky last year. I am amazed by us—there is no war, we've turned out to be the best of friends."

Naturally being in the public eye made their split even tougher. Lenny told The Express, "It is a strange job, showbiz, because you are in the public eye. You are in a goldfish bowl. We just got through it like every family does.

"We had a child and we just wanted to get through it and be normal and love her and be respectful to each other and just carry on. There was no secret to it. We got through it and we are raising our child and that is all there is to it really. Like everybody. Like normal people."

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How did Dawn French's weight loss happen?

Dawn French hit headlines back in 2014 when she lost over 7st. And while there were rumors about how and why she'd decided to shed the pounds, Dawn revealed it was all to do with an upcoming operation and nothing to do with vanity.  

She said, “When I was due to have my hysterectomy the doctor told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via keyhole, and I would recover in three weeks or so. Otherwise it would be big open surgery, and three months to recover.”

While her weight loss certainly set tongues wagging, Dawn assured it was far from miraculous, and more practical. "I set about dropping a few stone," she confessed on her 30 Million Minutes tour. "No magic wand, just tiny, joyless low-cal eating and lots more walking for weeks and weeks. It was grim. I lost seven-and-a-half stone. I could have the keyhole surgery. Great. That’s all it was, practical."

Fast forward seven years and the star recently discussed how her weight has a tendency to fluctuate, but is unfazed by weight gain. 

Speaking on French & Saunders: Titting About, Dawn confessed, "I’ve gone back to being an entire barrel but do you know what, I’m going to be 63 this year, I don’t give a f***, I really don’t, so long as I can walk. I’m not going to be stingy to myself anymore. I never did dislike anything about my body, even when I was very, very fat. I refuse to be forced to dislike myself.

"I used to get really angry when I did lose weight, people going, ‘You look so well,’ as if you looked awful before—rewarding you for managing it, which is not easy, I accept that. But I didn’t want people to give me approval. It’s so patronizing."

What are Dawn French's books about?

Having had a hugely successful career in comedy, Dawn turned her hand to writing in 2010 when she penned her first novel, A Tiny Bit Marvellous. 

Since then, the star has written three more books—According to Yes, Oh Dear Silvia
and Because of You, and is officially a number one bestselling author. Opening up on her writing methods back in 2016, Dawn admitted she uses a "pencil and a lined pad" to get her ideas down. The TV star also revealed she works "office hours" in a bid to feel productive. "I basically work office hours and if I do that I feel like I’ve put the time in," Dawn confessed in the WH Smith How Do You Write? video series. 

"Now, whether I’ve written two words in that time or whether I’ve written two pages or twenty pages (never) then who knows, that can really vary and that will depend. My mood at the end of the day will utterly rely on whether I’ve written anything any good."

What's Dawn French's new book?

Dawn French's latest book, Because of You explores the nature versus nurture debate and is described as a “tear-jerker," in which the power of a mother's love will be tested to its limits. And it’s something Dawn—who recently reunited with Jennifer Saunders for a TV special—has experience with, having shared a rocky relationship with her daughter, Billie, over the years.

On why she chose this topic, Dawn told the Guardian, "I wanted to investigate what would happen if you really challenged the idea of: who is your parent? Somebody steals a baby at the beginning of this book. That shouldn’t be something you could ever, ever forgive—but I’ve tried to write a character that you might forgive for doing that."

On her own experience of nature and nurture with her adopted child, Billie, Dawn explained, "I have thought about this a lot, and the nature/nurture balance is clearly different with every kid. My relationship with my daughter has confounded everything I expected. 

"The things I thought I’d be great at I failed at a bit… Like I thought, 'Oh, we’ll have to really prepare for when she wants to meet her biological family.' I always thought that’s something that’s part of your emotional contract, if you like, with an adopted kid. And yet I have a daughter, who despite all my determination that she should feel comfortable to do [that], showed no interest. Absolutely none."

What was Dawn French's breakthrough role?

Dawn's breakthrough role was alongside long-term friend, Jennifer Saunders, in their comedy sketch show, French & Saunders, which launched in 1987. The series featuring the comedy duo ran from 1987 to 1993 and sky-rocketed both their careers. 

Following on from that, Dawn's longest-running solo project was her starring role in BBC's The Vicar of Dibley, in which she played Geraldine Granger. She also starred in Little Britain as Vicky Pollard's mum and even in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban, in which she played the Fat Lady.

Are Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders still friends?

Yes, the comedy duo is the best of friends and have been since they met studying drama at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. The pair even shared a flat during their time there.

Despite not seeing each other regularly, Dawn and Jennifer Saunders—who recently confessed "comedy has changed" amid 'woke' culture when discussing the return of Absolutely Fabulous—remain firm friends. 

Opening up about how they kept in touch during the Covid-19 global pandemic, Dawn said, “We see each other all the time anyway as friends. We're not very good on Zoom. I'd rather be on the phone with her or we text each other a lot.

“If we don't get to see each other much, we just pick up where we left off. There's never a guilty gap. It's not a friendship that you have to feed on a regular basis to keep it topped up. It's very secure."

But, that's not to say Dawn hasn't felt her fair share of envy at Jennifer's success without her. Speaking on Glamour Magazine's podcast, #HeyItsOk, Dawn admitted, "I had to step away from doing the sketch show we were in the middle of writing, we'd booked the studios and everything, to go home and be quiet and have my kid there... She goes on with Ab Fab. Ab Fab becomes huge, and so I sit and watch Jennifer just collecting many awards and bouquets.

"She had no discernible talent whatsoever until that moment, and then she came through on the inside lane, and apparently she was talented all the time," the actress continued. "I didn't know that, I thought I was the funny one... When I saw that happening it was a huge amount of envy. Right in your belly in a place you don't want it, and it's bile-y and it tastes bad and it's all-consuming."

Thankfully Dawn overcame her jealousy and the pair remain incredibly close. 

Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders are set to have an open and honest conversation about Jennifer's decision to cast herself as the main character in French and Saunders.

The comedy duo have reunited for a brand new comedy TV show, French and Saunders: Funny Women which will air on GOLD on Saturday July 17 at 9pm.

And in a trailer released ahead of the show, fans can see Dawn questioning Jennifer's decision to give herself the lead role in the show that shot them both to fame. 

"Imagine the kind of person who writes a sitcom and gives themselves the lead role, Jennifer," Dawn says. 

To which Jennifer replies, "Awful. I think it's pathetic actually," before confessing it was "because they think nobody else will ever employ them"

As if that wasn't funny enough, Dawn also revealed she initially played Jennifer's daughter in a sketch that led to Absolutely Fabulous, but Jennifer failed to cast her in the hit sitcom long-term.

"But you didn't invite me to play the daughter at all. You used someone else," Dawn confessed before playfully pretending to punch her side-kick. 

Thankfully it's all fun and games as these two are the best of friends and managed to keep in touch even during lockdown.

Opening up about keeping in touch during the covid-19 global pandemic, Dawn - who admitted she does this bizarre daily ritual—said, “We see each other all the time anyway as friends. We're not very good on Zoom. I'd rather be on the phone to her or we text each other a lot.

“If we don't get to see each other much, we just pick up where we left off. There's never a guilty gap. It's not a friendship that you have to feed on a regular basis to keep it topped up. It's very secure.”

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French and Saunders last aired in 2005 with a cracking Christmas special, so this new two-hour episode will be their first outing in 16 years and aims to celebrate "all of the crucial and unforgettable female contributions to the pantheon of comic history" across the globe.

Dawn French has thrilled fans with a rare snap of her daughter Billie.

Dawn, 63, famously keeps Billie—the daughter she adopted with ex-husband Lenny Henry—out of the spotlight, so her latest Instagram post was a real treat for fans.

Sharing a close-up picture of a pair of lips, Dawn wrote, “Some lips I love.”

Billie is seen in the photo trialling two different shades of lipstick to create a heart shape and fans love her bold style.

“Gorgeous Billie I presume,” wrote one online user, while another said, “So random, I love it!”

A third fan responded, “There's no love like a mother daughters”—which clearly rings true for Dawn as her latest book, Because of You, focuses on just that.

Because of You is described as a “tear-jerker” in which the power of mother love will be tested to its limits.

And it’s something Dawn—who recently sold her home in Cornwall for a more low-key lifestyle—has experience with, having shared a rocky relationship with her daughter over the years.

Opening up about their challenges, Dawn previously said, “I haven’t got a kid who wants to read with me and have adventures with me, I’ve got a different kind of kid who’s a different kind of set of challenges and that’s been my lesson.

“Our relationship exists in a bizarre kind of process of peacetime, small battles, war. The peacetime is much more than the other two energies, but we have our wars.”

Despite their differences, it seems Dawn and Billie are in a better place now. “My biggest test and my biggest joy,” she said of her relationship with Billie. “But it is unbreakable.

“We have the same amount of mother/daughter friction that any mum and daughter have, it's no more or less. But I've learnt a lot about her. And she's learnt a lot about me.”

The comedian—who recently reunited with Jennifer Saunders for a special TV project—took to Instagram earlier this week to show how she’s transitioning to grey hair.

Alongside a selfie in which her trademark dark locks look lighter than ever, Dawn wrote, “Going lighter bit by bit to happily welcome the grey.”

And Dawn didn't stop there. In a bid for a brave and bold transformation, the star—who has previously described herself as a “functioning introvert”—went one step further and revealed a surprise undercut, which really showcased the extent of her greying hair. Go Dawn!

For a long time turning grey was something to fear, but thanks to various lockdowns and nobody being able to get to the hair salon, embracing silvery locks is suddenly very much in vogue and Dawn French is no exception.

Transitioning to grey hair can be a daunting journey, but it's one Dawn is “happy” to be on as she vows to grow old gracefully. 

The comedian—who recently reunited with Jennifer Saunders for a special TV project—took to Instagram to show off her new “lighter” hairdo.

Alongside a selfie in which her trademark dark locks look lighter than ever, Dawn wrote, “Going lighter bit by bit to happily welcome the grey.”

And Dawn, 63, didn't stop there. In a bid for a brave and bold transformation, the comedian could have grown out her locks with a new long hairstyle but Dawn went one step further and revealed a surprise undercut, which really showcased the extent of her greying hair.

Fans went wild for Dawn's candid and honest approach to ageing, with fellow telly pal Ruth Langsford claiming, “Grey is the new blonde!”

Another said, “Love it!!! Embrace hun!! Grey is the new look.”

A third fan wrote, “Welcome to the club silver sister! You'll love it.”

In a year where salons were often closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of women have been forced to embrace their natural hair. And it's refreshing to see celebrities following suit. 

Dawn joins the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Jane Fonda and Helen Mirren—all of whom have embraced their grey hair.

After years of gruelling TV schedules filming The Vicar of Dibley and French & Saunders, Dawn has spent the last few years slowing the pace down as she looks to her “autumn years”.

She already swapped London for the ‘abundant beauty’ of Cornwall some time ago, so it's no surprise that going grey is just another chapter in her life that she’s welcoming with open arms.

“I am enjoying the place I’m in,” she said. “I realize I’m right there in autumn and I can’t see the point in resisting it. This is what 60 looks like.”

Citing her reasons behind the decision to leave London in 2006, she told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast she found city life “overwhelming”.

There always seemed too much to do in London for Dawn. “I find the clutter of it overwhelming. I think I’m not meant for a city… that isn’t the real me. The real me is quiet.”

Whereas in Cornwall, Dawn said she feels calm. “There is, without a doubt, beauty here. I can do nothing but connect with that.

“It makes me calm, it makes me happier and it sort of enthuses my mind with better ways of thinking.”

We don't blame you, Dawn. Country life clearly suits you! 

It may have been one of Britain’s most popular sitcoms, but Jennifer Saunders doesn’t think Absolutely Fabulous would get commissioned now due to “woke culture”.

Absolutely Fabulous starred Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, and ran from 1992 to 1995, before being revived in 2004 to 2005.

It followed the journey of PR extraordinaire, Edina Monsoon—played by Saunders—and Patsy Stone—played by Lumley.

But, despite the show’s huge popularity at the time, Jennifer says the humour would be unlikely to land well in the “woke” era we’re living in if the show were to be aired now.

Speaking to The Sun, the 62-year-old said she wouldn’t be as brave with the jokes as she once was.

“I think it has changed comedy like what we used to make. I think we would probably talk ourselves out of most of it now. It would be like, ‘We won’t have a good answer so let’s not do that,’” she admitted. 

“I think people do talk themselves out of stuff now because everything is sensitive.”

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On how comedy has changed since the days of Jennifer and Saunders with Dawn French, Jennifer confessed, “What p****s me off? Quite a lot of stuff actually. I get p****d off by people and gentle criticism all the time.

“This is a modern thing, isn’t it? If someone says something it always has to be, ‘Oh, but sorry, you can’t say that’. I say, ‘Oh f*** off’.

“It’s not a crime to have an opinion or say something. It stops a lot of the fun, maybe, like jokes. I remember jokes. Silly jokes.”

Jennifer says she’s sure it makes comedians more “wary” about their work, after popular shows like Dad’s Army and Blackadder were given warnings by the BBC. 

Despite Absolutely Fabulous’ film revival in 2016, Jennifer isn’t convinced the show will have another outing.

On the slim chance of a reunion, Jennifer—who recently made a brief comeback with Dawn French—said, “We are old. I suppose it could but it would be a series more than a film.

“And French and Saunders the same. Dawn likes to write books and I like to do my garden. It’s hard to do those things as there is an expectation.”

Dawn French is selling her beloved home in Fowey, Cornwall after the area has become too "trendy".

The comedian notoriously loves life in Cornwall, and regularly mocks the seaside town's abundant beauty.

But now an insider close to the TV star - who is a self-confessed functioning introvert - has confirmed she's decided to move to a lesser-known part of the coast in a bid to protect her privacy.

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An insider told the Mail Online, "Yes, Dawn is selling up, but she’s very much staying in Cornwall. She just wanted a change.

"Dawn is low-profile and private. The fact that Fowey has recently become cool and trendy isn’t what she finds appealing per se."

Having moved out of London 14 years ago because she found it "overwhelming" at times, it's no surprise Dawn has made this decision. 

"It can get very busy now during summer. Dawn will always love Fowey and had 15 wonderful years living there. She will miss all the locals who made her feel so welcome."

After years of grueling TV schedules filming The Vicar of Dibley and French and Saunders, Dawn’s priorities have changed in life and the comedy actress now craves the “quiet” life.

Citing her reasons behind the decision to leave London in 2006, she told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast she found city life too much.

There always seemed too much to do in London for Dawn. “I find the clutter of it overwhelming. I think I’m not meant for a city… that isn’t the real me. The real me is quiet.”

Whereas in Cornwall, Dawn feels calm. “There is, without a doubt, beauty here. I can do nothing but connect with that.

“It makes me calm, it makes me happier and it sort of enthuses my mind with better ways of thinking.”.”

The Vicar of Dibley star has told fans she enjoys five chocolate eclair toffees "every night" in lockdown.

People up and down the country are doing whatever they can to remain positive as the nation continues to adhere to lockdown restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

And for Dawn French that has become a rather bizarre daily ritual of enjoying a sweet treat right before bed. Dawn, 62, let her Twitter followers into her bizarre lockdown secret, writing, "5 choc eclair toffees. Every. Night. ..... #noteethsoon."

While the comedian is concerned she'll have "no teeth soon" thanks to her new habit, Dawn doesn't worry about her waistline.

In fact, her decision to lose weight years ago was purely for "practical" reasons - after she found out she was at risk of uterine cancer.

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As a result, Dawn decided to have her womb removed but was told she needed to lose weight before having surgery.

Opening up about her 7.5st weight loss, Dawn said, "When I was due to have my have my hysterectomy the doc told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via keyhole, and I would recover in three weeks or so. Otherwise it would be big open surgery, and three months to recover. So, I set about dropping a few stone."

READ MORE: Dawn French reveals she's gone back to work but it's 'weird' amid coronavirus crisis

Revealing how she shed the pounds Dawn said, "[There was no] magic wand, just tiny, joyless low-cal eating and lots more walking for weeks and weeks. It was grim."

She added, "That’s all it was, practical."

After hitting her target weight Dawn continued to exercise more and eat less – but she isn’t strict with herself, hence why she feels no guilt about her daily dose of chocolate eclair toffees.

"I just did less eating and more exercising and I’ve kept that up," the actress admitted. "But I have more treats now…"

"For me, whatever age or size I’ve been, I’ve rather liked myself. The shell is not the thing at all."

As well as feeling comfortable in her body, Dawn is enjoying the slower pace and "abundant beauty" of life in Cornwall.

After years of gruelling TV schedules filming The Vicar of Dibley and French and Saunders, Dawn’s priorities have changed in life and the comedy actress now craves the “quiet” life.

“I am enjoying the place I’m in,” she said two years ago. “I realise I’m right there in autumn and I can’t see the point in resisting it. This is what 60 looks like.”

French and Saunders - Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders - are one of the most famous comedy duos in the world, and they're also best friends. The pair started their careers together, back in 1982 on The Comic Strip Presents, and continued to climb the entertainment ladder with their 1987 series French and Saunders, and various comedy spoofs of films.

But Dawn has admitted that that hasn't stopped her from feeling jealousy over some of Jennifer's other, separate career successes.

Speaking on a podcast with Glamour magazine, Dawn told the story of the time she learned that she'd be adopting a child with former husband Lenny Henry, and so had to quit a sketch show with Jennifer in the middle of filming. However, leaving her career meant that, when Jennifer went on to reap huge professional success with Absolutely Fabulous (one of her first solo projects) it left Dawn with a bitter taste in her mouth...

She said "She goes on with Ab Fab. Ab Fab becomes huge, and so I sit and watch Jennifer just collecting many awards and bouquets..."

She went on to say, "She had no discernible talent until that moment, and then she came through on the inside lane and apparently she was talented all the time. I didn't know that, I thought I was the funny one."

And she admitted, like so many of us when our friends bag that major job promotion, or move into a gorgeous new house, that she was downright envious. Dawn revealed, "When I saw that happening it was a huge amount of envy. Right in your belly in a place you don't want it, and it's bile-y and it tastes bad and it's all-consuming."

But despite feeling that way, Dawn found a way to move past it. And she advised on a brilliant strategy for dealing with jealousy - and surprisingly, it doesn't involve keeping your feelings to yourself.

She said "I think you're allowed to own up to it, and that's what I did." She also revealed that telling Jennifer directly about how she was feeling, in a positive way, was what made it all okay again - with herself, and with their friendship. She said, "I called her lots of words and said, 'I cannot believe you're this talented, I cannot believe it's this successful, I can't believe I'm not in it. I'm furious with you and I'm so jealous. And she loved that that was the case. So in a way, that made it alright."

Dawn also revealed that, in spite of anything, it really was the strength of their friendship that helped her move forward, saying, "And what's more important than jealousy is that I love the girl".

So perhaps the best solution for feeling jealous really is to just be open and honest - it's sure made for a stronger French and Saunders...