Dawn French has spoken of her happy marriage with her "one true love" Mark Bignell to HELLO! magazine. The comedian, who is about to launch her show Thirty Million Minutes in the West End, said she "couldn't be happier" at the moment.
Read the full interview in this week's HELLO! magazine, on sale now in all good newsagents and available to download on iPad, android, kindle fire and more formats. Or subscribe today to make sure you don't miss an issue!
Dawn French told HELLO! that she "couldn't be happier" at the moment
"Like the best things, it came out of the blue," Dawn told HELLO! of her relationship with Mark. "I didn't think I would commit to another whole life with somebody else, but I couldn't not with this man.
"He's got a different kind of energy and he makes me think about a lot of things. He's very emotionally grown-up – he's just new, different. He's incredibly cheerful and he loves being a dad. My dad loved being a dad and that's the kind of man I respect a lot."
Dawn married charity executive Mark, an old family friend, in April 2013. She was previously married to fellow comedian Lenny Henry for 25 years, and she says they have maintained a good relationship and continue to co-parent their daughter Billie.
"Lenny and I are good friends. We are five years on [from their split in 2010] so, you know, we co-parent our daughter," Dawn said. "We talk all the time about that. We have a healthy respect for each other, but you have to move into your new lives and you have to have separate stuff.
"That was the hard thing to do – to make sure you move on properly, both of you, and happily. But we care for each other and we are kind to each other."
To read more of the interview with Dawn, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! magazine, out now.