Lenny Henry has been courting casting director Lisa Makin for over 15 years, however earlier than he met her, the previous Comic Relief presenter was married to The Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French.
The pair first met on the choice comedy circuit, and Lenny tried to method Dawn and her comedy accomplice, Jennifer Saunders, to hitch his personal present. Although he was turned down by the pair, an attraction developed between him and Dawn.
Speaking to The Times in 2022, Lenny admitted that he had come from a string of unhealthy relationships, however that following a dialog with Dawn, he had a “light bulb” moment with her, that made him realise he had fallen for the star.
“During this period, I’d been serial dating a variety of dancers from summer shows, funkateers and fellow clubbers,” he defined. “None of these relationships was based on companionship, fellow feeling or a ‘meeting of minds’. Most of them were fuelled purely by physical attraction.
“Besides, I lacked consideration span when it got here to truly being with somebody. So, I discovered myself rising lonelier by the minute. I used to be craving for one thing extra substantial, however I simply did not know what that was.”
He continued: “The subsequent time I met Dawn I realised that you may have a reciprocal dialog with somebody and never must carry out or amuse them on a regular basis. They might make you chuckle too. A large mild bulb went off over my head. I used to be compelled by [Dawn]. We talked about all the pieces, efficiency, politics (my household voted Labour, however I hadn’t actually related with the whys of it till I met Dawn), household, relationships, meals, the long run.
“Even at the worst of times we used humour as sword and shield. My mind was at last tuned in, focused and functioning as an equal in a relationship. In other words, I was in love.“
© GettyIn the identical article, Lenny additionally revealed that he and Dawn each knew that they wished “as big a wedding as we could”. He added: “To my mind, if we weren’t going to get married in the right way – big church, reception, dress suits, food, friends and family jammed into a fancy-schmancy chi-chi hall with a big band and Big Al the DJ winding up the day’s events with a big disco – then we might as well not do it at all.”
Lenny and Dawn’s cut up
After marrying in 1984, Lenny and Dawn remained collectively for 26 years, earlier than they called time on their relationship in 2010. At the time, they launched an announcement which learn: “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.”
Following their separation, they’ve each made a number of uncommon feedback concerning the purpose their marriage broke down. “I got divorced… it wasn’t that bad,” Lenny stated to The Mirror in 2012, including he turned nearer to Billie.
© GettyFour years later, he advised the Express: “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’. We knew it wasn’t possible to continue.”
Dawn advised The Mirror in 2017: “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. There were lots of good years but one tricky last year.”
