Lenny Henry and Dawn French were once comedy’s golden couple. Sadly, they parted ways in 2010 after 25 years of marriage,
But why did Lenny Henry and Dawn French split? And who is his girlfriend Lisa Makin?
Here’s everything you need to know…
Why did Lenny Henry and Dawn French split?
Lenny and Dawn announced their split on April 6, 201o, and their divorce was finalised later that year.
Opening up about the break-up, Lenny revealed it was a “painful” time.
He told 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.”
Before the split, the couple’s relationship was tested when he reportedly cheated in 1999.
Although he denied the allegation, Dawn’s unofficial biographer Alison Boyer revealed in a self-penned article for the Mail Online the scandal almost ended the marriage.
Waiting till Billie turned 18
However, the couple, who have an adopted daughter together, didn’t split until almost a decade later – after their child had turned 18. As a result, it’s been suggested that Dawn and Lenny stayed together for as long as they did for Billie’s sake.
According to Boyer, the couple were keen to make it “as painless as possible for Billie”.
“She has always been the priority. She’s not a child any more. She’s got a boyfriend and is starting to have a life of her own. Dawn and Len finally felt this is the right time. They’ve kept Billie in the loop throughout.”
Claims he initiated split
Lenny initiated the split after “outgrowing” the relationship, according to Alison.
She wrote: “A friend of Lenny told me this week that the star has reluctantly accepted he has simply outgrown the relationship – he has been the prime mover in the split. As Dawn’s unofficial biographer, I can attest that she and Lenny have long been moving in increasingly different directions and have spent little time together in the past two years.”
The author added: “The truth is that a dramatic shift in the balance of power between the couple may have signalled the death knell of their relationship.”
Who is Lenny Henry’s girlfriend Lisa Makin?
Following the split, Dawn married her second husband Mark Bignell – the couple have now been married for 10 years. Lenny started dating his current partner Lisa two years after his divorce from Dawn.
Lisa is a theatre producer and casting director who is credited with helping the comedian taking on more challenging acting roles including Shakespearean performances.
Discussing the relationship in a n interview with the Mirror, he said: “I am very happy. I am in a happy place. It’s different and it’s nice. Life changes and life moves on. It’s like one chapter closes and another opens. It’s good and it’s on the upswing – and that’s fantastic.”
The couple remain friends, though, it seems. Dawn has previously said that she and Lenny have shifted from a “very happy marriage” to a “lasting friendship”.
Dawn narrates the Secret World of Crisps on Channel 4 on Sunday (August 11) at 6pm.
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