Dawn French and Lenny Henry's relationship now after sad break-up confession

Dawn French and Lenny Henry tied the knot in 1984 after four years of dating, but the couple, who share daughter Billie, stunned fans with a shock announcement in 2010 that they were divorcing

Dawn French and Lenny Henry were once considered to have the strongest marriage in showbiz.

The comedy icons met in 1980 when they were both members of the Comic Strip, and four years later, they tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in Covent Garden. However, they stunned fans in 2010 when the couple, who share daughter Billie, announced they were divorcing after more than 25 years of marriage.

“The separation is entirely amicable and they fully intend to maintain their close friendship. Their priority is to commit to the future joint parenting of their daughter,” a statement read at the time. Vicar of Dibley star Dawn has rarely spoken about the end of her marriage to Lenny, but the Comic Relief co-founder, 66, has commented on the shock break-up, as he touched upon the rumours surrounding the end of their relationship.

Dawn cited Lenny’s “unreasonable behaviour" when she filed for divorce in 2010, and as rumours swirled around the comedian’s reported infidelity - which he denied - he spoke candidly about their separation in 2016. “There’s generally a situation where one partner wants the marriage to finish more than the other. I think maybe one of us did, then the other one did, and then the other did over a period of time and then, in the end, we thought, 'Oh, actually maybe we both do’,” he told the Express. “We knew it wasn't possible to continue.”

Dawn’s unofficial biographer Alison Boyer said the former couple had been “outgrowing” their marriage, and in the two years before their split, they “have spent little time together”. The actress and author also touched upon the end of their marriage, as she said it was a “tricky last year” before they divorced.

Speaking to The Mirror, she spoke of her joy at being able to maintain a friendship with her ex-husband for the sake of their adopted daughter Billie, and said they have “shifted with relative ease from a 25-year marriage to a lasting friendship”. Of the “remarkable” transformation in their relationship, Dawn said: “I am amazed by us – there is no war, we’ve turned out to be the best of friends. There were lots of good years but one tricky last year.”

The comedy icon added: “This had been a very happy marriage for a very long time and you don't stop looking after each other or caring for each other, whatever has happened.” Lenny also suggested that the end of their marriage had a few positive outcomes, as in 2012, he revealed he had grown closer to his daughter since separating from Dawn.

Now, both Dawn and Lenny are happy with new partners, and the Murder Most Horrid star has also shed more than seven stone in weight since her divorce. She tied the knot with charity executive Mark Bignell in 2013 in an intimate ceremony in Cornwall, with her ex-husband in attendance. Meanwhile, Lenny has been in a relationship with theatre director Lisa Makin since 2013.

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