Lenny Henry's reaction to marriage questions following Dawn French divorce

Thirteen years on from his divorce from Dawn French, Lenny Henry has opened up about his thoughts on marriage.

The Lenny Henry Show star has been in a relationship with theatre producer Lisa Makin since 2012, but even after a decade together, Lenny has not confirmed whether he'll walk down the aisle again.

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During an interview with The Times, the Three of a Kind star was reminiscing about his wedding party with Dawn in 1984, which reportedly took place at the Savoy, when he was asked whether he could see himself organising another lavish celebration with his long-term girlfriend. 

Laughing, Lenny replied: "Have you been talking to Lisa? No comment."

While he tends to keep his relationship out of the spotlight, Lenny has made a few rare red carpet appearances with Lisa, including to the Matilda premiere in 2022.

The 65-year-old stand-up comedian married his ex-wife Vicar of Dibley star Dawn in St Paul's Church in Covent Garden, London, admitting he wanted all the pomp and circumstance that entails.

"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," he said.

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The former couple adopted daughter Billie in 1991 before splitting in 2010. Speaking to The Mirror in 2012, Lenny revealed that his divorce actually made him closer to his daughter Billie. 

"I got divorced... it wasn’t that bad," he said, adding of Billie: "We lived together for a year and we did lots together and we watched a lot of movies together. She’s very bright and sparky, so I miss her now she’s not here. I go to see her a few times a month to see how she is getting on."

Lenny and Dawn have maintained an amicable relationship and continue to co-parent their daughter.

Dawn – who is now married to Mark Bignell – told 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."

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