Dawn French has reflected on the sudden end to her smash hit BBC show French And Saunders.
The comedian, 65, wrote and starred in the sketch show with best friend Jennifer Saunders for six wildly successful series, but in 2004 the duo announced the end, shocking fans.
Writing in her new book The Twat Files, Dawn recalls the ‘tipping point’ came during filming for a sketch with pop star Anastacia.
Dawn and Jennifer were filming the scene in the toilets in the BBC building with Dawn seen describing her fantasy that Anastacia will hear her sing and invite her to come on Top of the Pops with her.
Anastacia stars in the sketch, overhearing the conversation. Cut to Dawn in the pop star’s signature cowgirl look singing with the star on TOTP.
Smash hit: Dawn French has reflected on the sudden end to her smash hit BBC show French And Saunders (pictured with comedy partner Jennifer Saunders in the show)
End of an era: The comedian wrote and starred in the sketch show with best friend Jennifer Saunders for six wildly successful series, but in 2004 the duo announced the end
Dawn writes in her new book The Twat Files that seeing herself in the costume was the moment she decided to quit the show. ‘I’d genuinely never felt so ugly. I’d often voluntarily, happily been ‘ugly’ for hundreds of sketches’.
‘I’ve never minded what something looks like, as long as it’s servicing the joke right. The mirror was clearly telling me why this was so painfully abhorrent.’
‘Because the joke was on me.’
After wrapping filming for the day, Dawn says she ‘burst into hot, angry tears. I properly sobbed all the 28 miles home’ before calling Jennifer and telling her she wanted to end their show.
Speaking to The Times, Dawn insisted that her best friend didn’t try to dissuade her, explaining: ‘Jennifer would never fight me on something so big.
‘She does say now, ‘What the f*** were you thinking? We could have sorted that easily.’ But it wasn’t a problem.’
As for her, she has never regretted her decision, adding: ‘I think it was time to go to another chapter, and you have to know when that happens.’
French and Saunders started working together when they met in their early 20s in 1978, with their eponymous sketch show first airing on BBC Two in 1987.
Unhappy: Writing in her new book The Twat Files, Dawn recalls the ‘tipping point’ came during filming for a sketch with pop star Anastacia
Fan favourites: French and Saunders, 63, started working together when they met in their early 20s in 1978, with their eponymous sketch show first airing on BBC Two in 1987
In total it ran for six full series, in addition to a host of Christmas specials and compilation episodes, the most recent of which was 300 Years of French and Saunders – which aired on Christmas Day in 2017.
Speaking on The Graham Norton Show last year, Dawn said she and Jennifer have no plans for a revival.
‘I think the time for the sketch show is over, but Jen and I are like kids when we get together and have lots of fun thinking about it – the likes of Line of Duty, Killing Eve and The Crown are just begging for it!’ she admitted.
Instead the comedic icon is concentrating on her one woman show Dawn French is a Huge Twat and the imminent release of her latest book, The Twat Files.
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