The Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French has opened up about a recent family moment involving her granddaughter that left her briefly lost for words
Dawn French has revealed the hilarious moment her young granddaughter left her momentarily speechless with a question about her fame.
The comedian and actress, who was married to Lenny Henry for more than 25 years, admitted she was tempted to deny her identity altogether when the four-year-old asked: “Are you Dawn French?”
Speaking to The Times, French, 68, recalled the exchange while discussing family life and becoming a grandmother. Her daughter Billie — whom she and Henry adopted after enduring multiple miscarriages and unsuccessful IVF treatment — now has a daughter of her own, described by French as “a very, very prized grandchild”.
Remembering the encounter, French said: “Recently she said to me, ‘Are you Dawn French?’ I nearly denied myself. I was so close to saying, ‘No, never heard of her. What do you mean?’”
She added that her granddaughter is already beginning to understand her grandmother’s public profile. “She’s not stupid, she picks up on things, but I’m going to have to curate this carefully,” she says. “Or make her sit down and watch it all.”
French and Henry were once regarded as one of British comedy’s best-loved couples after tying the knot in 1984. During their marriage, both became major television stars, with Henry forging a successful stand-up and acting career while French dominated screens alongside comedy partner Jennifer Saunders.
French and Saunders first met while studying at the Central School of Speech and Drama. The pair bonded over shared experiences growing up in RAF families before unexpectedly finding fame in their mid-20s after joining the Comic Strip comedy troupe.
Their careers quickly took off. In 1985, they starred alongside Ruby Wax and Tracey Ullman in ITV comedy Girls on Top, before launching the hugely successful BBC sketch series French and Saunders two years later.
Despite their long marriage, French and Henry announced their separation in 2010, insisting the split was amicable. Their divorce was finalised shortly afterwards, bringing an end to one of the entertainment industry’s most well-known marriages.
French later found love again with charity executive Mark Bignell, whom she married in 2013. The pair met after Bignell helped her research her second novel, with the friendship eventually becoming romantic.
French has previously credited her late mother Roma with introducing the couple, saying: “I think of him as her present to me.”
The Vicar of Dibley star is now part of a larger blended family. Alongside daughter Billie, she is also stepmother to Bignell’s children, Olly and Lily.
French has also spoken about her attitude towards ageing and appearance, saying she has already made clear decisions about how she wants to look as she gets older and how she responds to criticism.
She said she has no intention of turning to cosmetic surgery as she approaches her 70s and is comfortable with the changes that come with age. She reflected on both past and future scrutiny of her appearance, saying she has learned to be unfazed by negative comments.
Addressing her outlook on ageing and personal choice, she said: “Let them see it. I’m f***ing grateful to be this age.
“I’ve made decisions about whether or not I’m going to take a machete to my face, and fine for anybody who wants to, but these are my decisions. People troll you and whatever, as if I would really care. Nothing will hurt me by criticising my age.”
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