Dawn French, 63, talks getting older and warns ‘it’s not for wusses’

Beloved comedian Dawn French held nothing back when talking about the trials and tribulations of ageing in a recent interview. The actress, 63, spoke to British magazine Radio Times about how she sometimes struggles with the unavoidable process.

“It’s a privilege to get older but it’s not for wusses,” she said. “Things go a bit wrong … your rheumatoid arthritis knee stops you walking your dog a long way every morning, you know you’ve got to have a little op on that at some point and … [then] take six weeks off … But ultimately it ain’t so bad. Your teeth are a bit yellower, your chin has sagged, you’re fatter, you’re greyer.”

The British star added that along with her physical ailments, she’s also had an attitude change in her older years.

“The only thing is, I feel the tick-tock a little bit,” she said. “I am quicker to edit out eejits [sic] from my life, because I haven’t got the hours. That’s the only grumpy part of me, it’s just to do with time.”

As a blast from the past, Dawn recently revisited her iconic role as Reverend Geraldine Granger from well-loved British comedy The Vicar of Dibley, which ran from 1994 to 2015. The revival will show a series of short episodes that feature Dawn on her own, with other classic characters appearing as “noises off”.

“People know Dibley as an ensemble piece. They inherit all the other people, even though it’s just me talking,” she said. “In a funny way, the audience becomes the other characters. They are the heart of Dibley. They’re who I’m addressing directly.”

Most notably, the new episodes will include a heartfelt acknowledgement of Emma Chambers, the actress who played Geraldine’s best friend Alice Tinker, who tragically died in early 2018 at age 53. Dawn said the process of making a eulogy for Emma was a difficult one. “Of course, as Geraldine is talking about Alice, I’m talking about Emma, so it wasn’t easy. It was very emotional.”

The comedian has been looking better than ever lately, after making headlines last year for dropping 50kg (eight stone) and completely overhauling her life. A friend of Dawn’s told Woman magazine at the time that she was “properly happy” with the results.

“Dawn is on the other end of the scale now – properly happy … She’s content in her marriage, and work wise she is making [TV series The Trouble with Maggie Cole],” the source said.