Dawn French had 'tricky' final year with Lenny Henry before shock divorce

Lenny Henry and Dawn French had a "tricky" final year before they split (Image: Getty)

Lenny Henry and Dawn French, once dubbed the golden duo of British comedy, confessed to having a "tricky" final year before their divorce.

The nation was taken aback when Lenny, 66, Dawn, 67, declared their 25-year marriage over in 2010.

The former couple met in 1980 and tied the knot four years later in Covent Garden, London. During their marriage, they adopted a daughter named Billie when she was two weeks old in 1991.

Prior to Billie's arrival, the couple faced challenges in conceiving naturally. Opening up to the Sunday Telegraph, Dawn shared her emotional struggles: "I had grief for a while. I did have miscarriages, so I've had grief about that as well. But the minute Billie arrived that was it for me.

"She fills everything I needed to be as a mother."

The comedy duo tied the knot in 1984 (Image: Press Association)

The Vicar of Dibley star has since regarded Billie as "the greatest achievement" of her life.

Their marriage came to an unexpected end in 2010, with their divorce citing Lenny's "unreasonable behaviour" as reason.

A statement released by the couple said: "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."

While the specifics of their separation remained private, the Comic Relief founder reflected on their divorce in a 2016 interview with the Express.

"There's generally a situation where one partner wants the marriage to finish more than the other," the Netflix star confessed.

He elaborated on the gradual realisation that led to their mutual decision, saying: "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'. We knew it wasn't possible to continue."

Lenny and Dawn adopted Billie in 1991 (Image: Getty)

Amid rumours of infidelity in 1999 which Lenny strongly denied, Dawn unofficial biographer Alison Boyer suggested the pair's union had been diminishing for some time.

Speaking to The Mail, Boyer revealed: "[Dawn] and Lenny have long been moving in increasingly different directions and have spent little time together in the past two years,".

Swiftly transitioning from marital ties to a firm friendship, Dawn expressed to The Mirror after the separation: "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."

Noting the complexities of their final year together, Dawn further confided: "There were lots of good years but one tricky last year."

The exes remained good friends after their split (Image: Getty Images)

She 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."

In 2012, Dawn began a relationship with Mark Bignell. Speaking candidly about her apprehensions of re-entering the dating scene, Dawn confessed: "I thought oh God, how repulsive. I'll have to buy new pants.

"Dating was excruciating and difficult as I'm not an accomplished flirter. Then, bang, I met somebody else. I started to claim my life back. I know that I will make a good life for myself with all sorts of things as armour. Including stuff, my new chap is teaching me that I never knew. Now my life is in Cornwall with him. I hope it is a life together."

The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in Cornwall, Dawn's birthplace, in 2013 after on year of dating. The intimate event was attended by those closest to Dawn, including Lenny, who is set to return to screens in Harlan Coben's latest Netflix adaptation, Missing You, on New Year's Day.