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Dawn French

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Dawn French
Born
Dawn Roma French

(1957-10-11) October 11, 1957 (age 69)
Holyhead, Wales
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian, writer
Years active1981–present
Known forFrench and Saunders, Murder Most Horrid, The Vicar of Dibley
Notable workFrench and Saunders, Murder Most Horrid, The Vicar of Dibley

Dawn Roma French (born 11 October 1957) is a renowned British actress, comedian, and writer. She co-created and starred in the BBC sketch comedy series French and Saunders (1987–2007) alongside Jennifer Saunders. French also led the BBC comedy anthology Murder Most Horrid (1991–1999) and played the titular role in the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2007). Throughout her career, she received seven nominations for the British Academy Television Awards and, together with Saunders, was honored with a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009.

Early life

Dawn French was born in Holyhead, Wales, to English parents Felicity Roma and Denys Vernon French. She has an elder brother named Gary. Her father’s service in the Royal Air Force contributed partially to funding her private schooling. French briefly attended Caistor Grammar School before moving to St Dunstan's Abbey School for Girls in Plymouth. Additionally, she spent a year studying at the Spence School in New York through a debating scholarship.

French attributes much of her self-assurance to her father, who consistently encouraged her despite battling severe depression; he tragically took his own life when she was 19. In 1977, she enrolled at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, where she met Jennifer Saunders. Although both came from RAF families, they initially clashed due to their differing goals—French aspired to become a drama teacher, whereas Saunders opposed that direction.

Their relationship evolved into friendship while sharing a flat, where their flatmates inspired them to explore comedy. After graduation, they formed the double act Menopause Sisters. Although it did not achieve immediate success, this early collaboration laid the foundation for their future partnership.

1980s

French began her television journey with Channel 4's The Comic Strip Presents in 1982, featuring in 27 out of 37 episodes and contributing as a writer on two occasions. This series included notable comedians such as Peter Richardson, Rik Mayall, and Robbie Coltrane. An early highlight was a 1981 Comic Strip record album that helped broaden French and Saunders’ audience beyond London. In 1985, French appeared alongside Saunders, Tracey Ullman, and Ruby Wax in Girls on Top, portraying four quirky women sharing a London flat.

In 1987, French co-created and starred in French & Saunders, a comedy show known for its parodies of celebrities like Madonna, Cher, and the Spice Girls, as well as spoofs of films including The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. After two decades of collaboration, their sketch series culminated with A Bucket o' French & Saunders, which premiered on 8 September 2007.

1990s

Alongside their joint ventures, French pursued individual projects. Between 1991 and 1999, she starred in Murder Most Horrid, portraying a different character each week.

Her most prominent solo role came as Geraldine Granger in BBC’s widely acclaimed comedy The Vicar of Dibley, created by Richard Curtis and first broadcast in 1994. The show drew audiences up to 12.3 million viewers for its finale featuring her character’s wedding. In 2013, French reunited with Damian Lewis for a mini-episode produced for Comic Relief. She received a BAFTA nomination for Best Comedy Performance for the series’ final episode. The show continues to attract millions on BBC One and enjoys popularity in the United States through PBS. Though regular episodes ceased in 2007, special editions have aired intermittently, including four episodes broadcast in December 2020.

In 1995, French appeared as a talk-show host in the Comic Relief sketch titled Dawn, penned by Victoria Wood, alongside esteemed British actors such as Celia Imrie and Jim Broadbent.

2000s

In 2002, French took on the role of a tourist information officer who falls for an extraterrestrial in the comedy-drama mini-series Ted and Alice. Earlier, in 1992, she appeared in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous as Kathy, a television interviewer parodying Lorraine Kelly, a character she revisited in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016) as an experienced journalist. She also featured in the BBC sitcom Wild West, acting alongside Catherine Tate as a woman residing in Cornwall who identifies as a lesbian due to circumstances. The show aired for two seasons until 2004 but did not achieve the acclaim of her previous performances.

French held a prominent part in Jam & Jerusalem portraying Rosie, a woman with dissociative identity disorder who has an alternate personality called "Margaret". The cast included Sue Johnston, Jennifer Saunders (who created and wrote the series), and Joanna Lumley. Additionally, she guest-starred on Little Britain as Vicky Pollard's mother and participated in a special Comic Relief sketch titled Little Britain Live, playing a lesbian barmaid alongside Daffyd Thomas.

In 2006, French appeared in the episode "Sleeping Murder" of Agatha Christie's Marple. She also portrayed Caroline Arless in the BBC drama Lark Rise to Candleford (2008), describing her character as lively, intense, and deeply devoted to her family despite her exaggerated traits.

2010s

Towards the end of 2010, French starred with Alfred Molina in Roger & Val Have Just Got In, which ran for two series. She featured in the 2010 Christmas edition of short comedy films titled Little Crackers and was a special guest on Michael Bublé's Home For Christmas broadcast in December 2011. In July 2012, she took on the role of judge during ITV's live shows for Superstar.

In March 2013, French joined the judging panel of Nine Network’s Australia's Got Talent, working alongside Kyle Sandilands, Geri Halliwell, and Timomatic; however, she departed after one season and was succeeded by Kelly Osbourne.

Between 2016 and 2019, French starred in three seasons of Sky 1’s Delicious, playing a skilled chef entangled with her ex-husband—a renowned chef who has established a thriving hotel enterprise in Cornwall.

2020s

In 2020, French appeared in the six-episode series The Trouble with Maggie Cole sharing the screen with Mark Heap.

In 2021, she participated as a celebrity guest judge on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, assessing the final five contestants during their comedy stand-up performances.

Film

French appeared as "The Baker's Wife" alongside Martin Landau and Jonathan Taylor Thomas in the 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio. She portrayed The Fat Lady in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, taking over from Elizabeth Spriggs, who played the role in the first movie. Her then-husband, Lenny Henry, provided the voice for the Shrunken Head character in that same film. In 2005, French lent her voice to Mrs. Beaver in Disney and Walden Media’s adaptation of C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Later, in 2010, she voiced Angie the Elephant for the English version of the German-British animated feature Animals United.

Theatre

French's theatrical work includes performances in productions such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, My Brilliant Divorce, and Smaller, where she took on the role of a schoolteacher caring for her disabled mother. She made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in January 2007, portraying the Duchesse de Crackentorp in Donizetti's The Daughter of the Regiment, alongside Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez, and returned for the 2010 revival. In December 2022, she performed in Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium.

Stand-up comedy

In 2014, French embarked on a UK and Oceania tour with her autobiographical solo show, 30 Million Minutes, a title reflecting the total minutes she had lived at the time of its creation.

Her 2022 UK tour featured the show Dawn French is a Huge Twat. Plans were announced to continue this tour across the UK in Autumn 2023, with additional performances scheduled for Australia in 2024.

Advertising

From 1997 until August 2007, French was the prominent face of Terry's Chocolate Orange and also appeared in promotional campaigns for Churchill Insurance Company.

In 2019, she provided voiceovers for Station idents on Greatest Hits Radio, produced in collaboration with Bespoke Music.

French voiced a fairy character in Marks and Spencers Christmas food advertisements in 2021, sharing the screen with Tom Holland as mascot Percy Pig. This campaign showcased M&S’s holiday food offerings. She reprised this role in the 2022 festive advert, appearing alongside Jennifer Saunders, who voiced 'Duckie', a sidekick character promoting M&S’s Christmas food range for that year.

Writing

French’s best-selling epistolary autobiography, Dear Fatty, was published in 2008 with an advance of £1.5 million. The book is composed of letters addressed to various individuals in her life, with "Fatty" being an affectionate nickname for Jennifer Saunders. Her second non-fiction book, Me. You. A Diary, was released in 2017. French has authored four novels: A Tiny Bit Marvellous (2010), Oh Dear Silvia (2012), According to Yes (2015), and Because of You (2020), which was longlisted for the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction. In October 2023, she published her third non-fiction work, The Twat Files, connected to her stand-up show Dawn French is a Huge Twat.

Music videos

In 1986, French appeared alongside Hugh Laurie and others in Kate Bush’s music video "Experiment IV". She also featured in Alison Moyet’s videos for "Love Letters" (1987) and "Whispering Your Name" (1994).

In 1989, French teamed up with Jennifer Saunders and Kathy Burke to form Lananeeneenoonoo, releasing a Comic Relief charity single—a cover of The Beatles’ "Help!"—which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and remained there for nine weeks. The trio reunited in 1997 as "The Sugar Lumps," joined by Llewella Gideon and Lulu, parodying The Spice Girls with a rendition of "Who Do You Think You Are?" for Comic Relief.

Personal life

French met fellow comedian Lenny Henry while performing on the alternative comedy scene; they married on 20 October 1984 in Covent Garden, London. Together they adopted a daughter named Billie, who has always been aware of her adoption. French secured an injunction to protect Billie's biological mother's anonymity and supports Billie's autonomy in exploring her heritage as she wishes.

During the 2010 general election, French endorsed the Labour Party and later supported Keir Starmer during the 2020 Labour leadership contest.

On 6 April 2010, after 25 years of marriage, French and Henry announced their amicable separation; their divorce was finalized later that year. In 2011, French began a relationship with charity executive Mark Bignell; they married on 22 April 2013 and resided in Fowey, Cornwall.

French was appointed Chancellor of Falmouth University in September 2014. In May 2021, she sold her Fowey residence and relocated to an 1868-built Gothic Revival house in Calstock.

In June 2025, French attracted criticism over an Instagram video concerning the Gaza war, which she subsequently deleted; she apologized for its partial perspective and clarified that mocking the 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the conflict was never her intention.

A supporter of Plymouth Argyle football club, French is also a patron of the Orchid Project, a London-based charity dedicated to eradicating female genital cutting worldwide through grassroots efforts in countries including Kenya, Senegal, and India.

Awards and recognition

In 2002, French and Saunders were honored with the prestigious Golden Rose of Montreux award. The following year, French earned a spot on The Observer's list of the 50 funniest British comedians. A 2006 survey involving 4,000 participants identified her as the most admired female celebrity among women in the UK.

By February 2013, she was recognized as one of the 100 most influential women in Britain by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.

BAFTA Awards

  • 1989 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for French and Saunders
  • 1991 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for French and Saunders
  • 1998 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance in The Vicar of Dibley
  • 2000 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance in The Vicar of Dibley
  • 2001 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance in The Vicar of Dibley
  • 2007 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Comedy Performance in The Vicar of Dibley
  • 2009 – Won – BAFTA Fellowship, jointly awarded with Jennifer Saunders
  • 2011 – Nominated – BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance in Roger and Val Have Just Got In

British Comedy Awards

National Television Awards

  • 1998 – Nominated – National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer in The Vicar of Dibley
  • 2000 – Nominated – National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer in The Vicar of Dibley
  • 2002 – Nominated – National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performance in Ted and Alice
  • 2003 – Nominated – National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performance in Wild West

Other

Acting credits

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1982 The Comic Strip Various characters
Five Go Mad in Dorset George
1982–1984 The Young Ones Insane Christian Woman/Mrs Easter Bunny/She-Devil
1983 Five Go Mad on Mescaline George
1985 Happy Families Cook
1985–1986 Girls on Top Amanda Ripley
1987 The Storyteller Bad sister Episode: "Sapsorrow"
1987–2007 French and Saunders Various characters
1991–1999 Murder Most Horrid Multiple roles
1992 Absolutely Fabulous Kathy (Interviewer)
1993 Screen One Elaine Dobbs
The Legends of Treasure Island Jim Hawkins (voice)
1994–2020 The Vicar of Dibley Geraldine Granger
1997 Sex & Chocolate Bev Bodger
1999 Let Them Eat Cake Lisette
David Copperfield Mrs Crupp
2000 Watership Down Buttercup (voice)
'French and Saunders Live' 'Various roles'
'2001' 'The Wheels on the Bus' 'Narrator'
'2002' 'Ted and Alice' 'Alice Putkin'
'2002–2004' 'Wild West' 'Mary'
'2006' 'Agatha Christie's Marple: Sleeping Murder' 'Janet Erskine'
'2006' 'Dawn French's Girls Who Do Comedy' 'Herself'
'2006' 'Little Britain Abroad' 'Shelly Pollard'
'2006, 2008–2009' 'Jam & Jerusalem' 'Rosie'
'2007' 'High Table' 'Various roles'
'2007' 'Dawn French's Boys Who Do Comedy' 'Herself'
'2008, 2011' 'Lark Rise to Candleford' 'Caroline Arless'
'2009–2011' 'Psychoville' 'Joy Aston'
'2010–2012' 'Roger & Val Have Just Got In' 'Val Stevenson'
'2012' 'Superstar' 'Judge'
'2013–2014' 'Australia's Got Talent' 'Judge'
'2013–2014' 'The Wrong Mans' 'Linda Bourne'
'2016–2019' 'Delicious' 'Gina'
'2017–2018' 'Little Big Shots (British TV series)' 'Presenter'
'2020–present' "Various appearances including 'The Trouble with Maggie Cole', 'Cornwall Air 999', 'Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse', 'RuPaul's Drag Race UK', 'Walk The Line', 'Red Riding Hood: After Ever After', 'imagine... French & Saunders', 'Beddybyes', and forthcoming 'Can You Keep a Secret?'"

Film

Year Title Role Notes

Theatre and opera

Year Title Venue/Location

Video games

Year Title Voice role Notes

Bibliography

Fiction
  • A Tiny Bit Marvellous (Penguin, 2010)
  • Oh Dear Silvia (Penguin, 2012)
  • According to Yes (Penguin, 2015)
  • Because of You (Michael Joseph, 2020)
Autobiography
  • Dear Fatty (Arrow, 2007)
  • Me. You. A Diary (Penguin, 2017)
  • The Twat Files (Penguin, 2023)
Comedy
  • Girls on Top (co-authored with Jennifer Saunders and Ruby Wax) (HarperCollins, 1986)
  • A Feast of French and Saunders (co-written with Jennifer Saunders) (Mandarin, 1992)
Other
  • Big Knits: Bold, Beautiful, Designer Knitwear (with Sylvie Soudan) (Ebury, 1990)
  • Great Big Knits: Over Twenty Designer Patterns (with Sylvie Soudan) (Trafalgar Square, 1993)
  • Foreword to *Frigid Women* by Sue and Victoria Riches (Eye Books Direct, 1996)
  • Foreword to *Cruising* by Beryl Cook (Victor Gollancz, 2000)

External links

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