Dawn French Biography
Dawn French is a British actor, comedian, and writer. She has written and starred in the BBC sketch comedy series French and Saunders with her best friend and comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, as well as playing Geraldine Granger in the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. French has been nominated for seven BAFTA TV Awards and received a BAFTA Fellowship with Saunders in 2009.
How old is Dawn French? – Age
She is 66 years old as of October 11, 2023. She was born in 1957 in Holyhead, United Kingdom. Her real name is Dawn Roma French.
Dawn French Family – Education
French was born on October 11, 1957, in Holyhead, Wales, to English parents Felicity Roma (née O’Brien) and Denys Vernon French, who had married in their hometown of Plymouth in 1953. French has an older brother named Gary.
Her father was in the Royal Air Force, stationed at RAF Valley and later RAF Leconfield, where Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visited French’s home when she was three years old. The RAF archive film from this occurrence was used in French’s comedy tour/video Thirty Million Minutes.
Dawn French Wife – Children
French met comic Lenny Henry in the alternative comedy scene. The pair married on October 20, 1984, in Covent Garden, London. They adopted a daughter named Billie. French claims that Billie has always known she was adopted, although she once obtained an injunction when a biographer was about to divulge the identity of Billie’s biological mother.
On April 6, 2010, French and Henry announced their separation after 25 years of marriage. It was reported that the breakup was amicable. They had decided to separate in October of the previous year but did not announce it for several months because they were still negotiating the separation. Their divorce was formalized later that year. French started dating charity executive Mark Bignell in 2011. On April 22, 2013, it was reported that they had recently married. The couple lived in Fowey, Cornwall, in a home that overlooked Readymoney Cove. The Grade II-listed structure dates back to the nineteenth century.
Dawn French Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of $10 million.
Dawn French Stand-up
In 2014, French toured the UK and Oceania with her autobiographical one-woman show 30 Million Minutes. The title refers to the number of minutes she was alive when the show was produced.
In 2022, she toured the UK with a new show called Dawn French is a Huge Twat. In late 2022, it was reported that she would continue touring the UK with the same show in Autumn 2023, with more shows in Australia in 2024.
Dawn French Weight Loss
French has been quite open about her weight loss struggle since 2011, when she decided to change her lifestyle. A cancer worry caused the Vicar of Dibley star to lose 7.5 stone for surgery, which she has since stated was a wholly ‘realistic’ decision rather than one based on her attractiveness.
Dawn French Books
French has also authored a best-selling epistolary autobiography called Dear Fatty. French received a £1.5 million advance for the novel, which was released in 2008. During an appearance on The Paul O’Grady Show on October 6, 2008, French joked about her own size by referring to Jennifer Saunders as “Fatty”. French stated that she became close friends with Saunders “over 30 years ago” before they began working together. The book is a collection of letters to various persons in her life. In 2017, French’s second nonfiction book, Me. You. A Diary, was published.
She has also authored four novels, including A Tiny Bit Marvellous (2010), Oh Dear Silvia (2012), According to Yes (2015), and Because of You (2020). Because of You was nominated for the 2021 Women’s Prize in Fiction. Her third non-fiction book, The Twat Files, which corresponds to her second stand-up performance Dawn French is a Huge Twat, was released in October 2023.
Dawn French Advertisement
French was selected as the face of Terry’s Chocolate Orange from 1997 to August 2007. She has also appeared in ads for Churchill Insurance Company. In 2019, French voiced many station idents for Greatest Hits Radio. This was created in collaboration with Bespoke Music.
In 2021, French was cast as the voice of a fairy woman in Christmas food advertising for renowned store Marks and Spencers, with Tom Holland as the company’s mascot Percy Pig (who was brought to life for the first time in 29 years). In the main advertisement in French, the fairy lowers her magic wand on a box wrapped with Percy Pig, the lid opens, and Percy emerges. Throughout the rest of the advertising, she displays Percy every item that the merchant was selling for Christmas food.
She later reprised the character in the 2022 M&S Christmas promo, co-starring Jennifer Saunders as a sidekick named ‘Duckie’. In the main advertisement, the couple embark on a quest to bring Duckie’some festive cheer’ while showcasing the M&S Food Christmas selection for 2022.
Dawn French Movies
♦ 2023 – The Magician’s Elephant
♦ 2022 – Death on the Nile
♦ 2016 – Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
♦ 2010 – Animals United
♦ 2009 – Coraline
♦ 2006 – Love and Other Disasters
♦ 2005 – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
♦ 2004 – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
♦ 2000 – Maybe Baby
♦ 1999 – Milk
♦ 1999 – David Copperfield
♦ 1996 – The Adventures of Pinocchio
♦ 1987 – Eat the Rich
Dawn French TV Shows
♦ 2023 – imagine… French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter
♦ 2022 – Red Riding Hood: After Ever After
♦ 2021 – RuPaul’s Drag Race UK
♦ 2021 – The Secret World of…
♦ 2021 – Walk The Line
♦ 2020 – The Trouble with Maggie Cole
♦ 2020 – Cornwall Air 999
♦ 2020 – Roald & Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse
♦ 2017–2018 – Little Big Shots
♦ 2017 – 300 Years of French and Saunders
♦ 2016–2019 – Delicious
♦ 2013–2014 – Australia’s Got Talent
♦ 2013–2014 – The Wrong Mans
♦ 2013 – Heading Out
♦ 2012 – Superstar
♦ 2010–2012 – Roger & Val Have Just Got In
♦ 2009–2011 – Psychoville
♦ 2009 – The Paul O’Grady Show
♦ 2008, 2011 – Lark Rise to Candleford
♦ 2007 – High Table
♦ 2007 – The Meaning of Life
♦ 2007 – Dawn French’s Boys Who Do Comedy
♦ 2006, 2008–2009 – Jam & Jerusalem