Lenny Henry shares 'sad' reason marriage to Dawn French 'wasn't able to continue'

Comedy power couple Lenny Henry and Dawn French were united in matrimony for a quarter of a century until their separation in 2010. Despite the end of their marriage, the pair have maintained a strong friendship and both have found happiness with new partners.

Born and bred in Dudley, Lenny crossed paths with Dawn in the early '80s whilst they were part of the alternative comedy group Comic Strip. The star of The Lenny Henry Show, 65, tied the knot with The Vicar of Dibley's actress, also 65, back in 1984.

Reflecting on their extravagant wedding ceremony in Covent Garden, Lenny had previously reminisced: "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."

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However, in 2010, news emerged that Lenny and Dawn had decided to part ways. This article delves into their shared journey, their approach to discussing the divorce publicly, and their current life chapters.

So what led to the parting of ways between Dawn French and Lenny Henry? A mutual statement was issued by the duo in 2010 confirming their split and stipulating: "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."

Post-divorce disclosures from the two are sparse; however, in an interview in 2012 with The Mirror, Lenny disclosed that his relationship with daughter Billie had strengthened as a result of the split.

Recounting the reasons behind their separation, he revealed to 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 has humorously suggested that her choice of underwear may have played a part in their split. Speaking to the Sun in 2014, she quipped: "Maybe I should have worn more interesting pants and I'd still be married to him." She has also expressed that she and Lenny transitioned from a "very happy marriage" to a "lasting friendship."

The duo welcomed their daughter Billie into their lives in 1991 through adoption when she was just a fortnight old. Dawn had previously shared her challenges with natural conception.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Dawn opened up: "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."

Dawn has conceded that their relationship can be turbulent at times. Despite their love for each other, they sometimes clash, as she described to the Daily Mail in 2015: "Our relationship exists in a bizarre kind of process of peacetime, small battles, war.

"The peacetime is much more than the other two energies, but we have our wars. The love, thank God, is profound and I do thank God, because I love that kid so much that sometimes if I don't like her or she doesn't like me, we survive it."

In matters of the heart, comedian Dawn found a new chapter with charity executive Mark Bignell co-founder of the charity Hamoaze House, established to support those recovering from drug abuse and alcoholism on their journey back into society. They tied the knot in a gorgeous ceremony back in 2013 and share a home together in Cornwall.

Dawn fondly referred to him as a "keeper" following a touching gift of hearts he gave her on their anniversary this year. Lenny, on the other hand, has been enjoying a long-standing relationship with theatre director Lisa Makin, since 2013.