# Dawn French on Big Women



## ripley (Sep 14, 2007)

Just watched this on TV...anyone see it? If you see it on it is really good, definitely worth a watch! Here is a review at Amazon.

And from Dawn French herself.


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## BigCutieSasha (Sep 14, 2007)

I think I know a certain british guy who will be all over this thread like fat gir..... I mean like me on a cupcake.


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## liz (di-va) (Sep 14, 2007)

It looks like this was the South Bank Show prog? They showed it in the states when it first came out on Bravo, I remember. I went to enormous lengths to tape it at tha time!

It was a pretty great show, although I unless I'm hallucinating I remember her gettin all excited about a quote from Camille Paglia as if CP were the gospel of fat folk (did she, Rip?), but you know, whatever, it worked. I do love Dawn French. She is just...the shiznit.


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## BigCutieSasha (Sep 14, 2007)

liz (di-va) said:


> She is just...the shiznit.



It just tickled me pink that you used the word shiznit.  And I 100% agree.


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## PamelaLois (Sep 14, 2007)

I first became aware of her through The Vicar of Dibley. I loved that show, she killed me with the jokes at the end of each program. She is quite a talented funny lady.


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## Smushygirl (Sep 14, 2007)

I've seen this, they show it on Ovation a lot! I love her and Jennifer Saunders. This was a good show. I especially loved her pique when doing the photo shoots from bygone eras.


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## mango (Sep 14, 2007)

*God bless Dawn French!!


 *


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## James (Sep 14, 2007)

Dawn is and has always been my one and only celebrity crush... 

I watched this program when I was 18 and it was amazing... I remember the scene where the french ladies of Allegro Fortissimo were in bathing costumes in the sauna... that image is totally burned into my brain... as were the 'nude' shots of dawn that she had done for the show.


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## Les Toil (Sep 15, 2007)

I recently got Ava addicted to "Absolutely Fabulous". Never understood why Dawn French never really appeared on this great show she and Jennifer Saunders created.


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## Emma (Sep 15, 2007)

I have spent my whole life adoring dawn french.. But I can't respect her as big role model. She's announced to the world that shes retireing because she knows that her size will cause her to die soon.


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## liz (di-va) (Sep 15, 2007)

CurvyEm said:


> I have spent my whole life adoring dawn french.. But I can't respect her as big role model. She's announced to the world that shes retireing because she knows that her size will cause her to die soon.



I just looked this up--hadn't heard anything about it. She never mentions it having anything to do with her size in all the articles I found (rather opposite). She said she was "fit and healthy," not ill, she just had a premonition as a strong believer in fate. 

Here it is from another article:Is hitting 50 a landmark for you? “Definitely, because I’ve never thought I’d live to be very old. I’ve always felt that. So by 50 I want to be down there.” [Cornwall] I’m shocked. So you think you’re going there to die? “Yeah,” she concedes brightly. “But to die slowly and nicely, in great surroundings, with my family. It is a bit shocking, isn’t it?” she says. “*I’m not ill. I’m very fit, in fact. *There is no history of early death in my family. I have got a granny who is 99. I lost my other one at 95, and my mum is a pretty good 74. I don’t feel gloomy about it. I’m resigned to it. I don’t know why I feel so sure. I said it to my brother when I was about six.” She says it so calmly it feels sad and scary. “It doesn’t feel scary, it feels like a surety. I’m not scared of death. I want to be around for my kid to get plugged into adult life. That is the only thing I would want to live any time for.” What do you think happens when you die? “I doubt that you go anywhere, you just go to sleep. I’ve told Len ever since I’ve known him, I don’t think I’ll be around for a long time. Billie is the only one I think it would be difficult for. What’s weird is, I’m quite a logical person and there’s not much logic to this. There are certain things I just know.”​How odd!


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## Jes (Sep 16, 2007)

you know, some people just have that feeling. Steve Irwin always thought he'd die young--but not as a result of an animal or tv thing. He always thought it would be something like a car accident. So apparently, he lived his life with that in mind and when he got married and had kids, he made sure to organize his money, etc., with that in mind, to take care of them.


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## qwertyman173 (Sep 16, 2007)

Jes said:


> you know, some people just have that feeling. Steve Irwin always thought he'd die young--but not as a result of an animal or tv thing. He always thought it would be something like a car accident. So apparently, he lived his life with that in mind and when he got married and had kids, he made sure to organize his money, etc., with that in mind, to take care of them.



We could all go at any time.......

I always liked Dawn French on TV. One of the first celebrities I was attracted to, and she was very funny


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## liz (di-va) (Sep 16, 2007)

Jes said:


> you know, some people just have that feeling. Steve Irwin always thought he'd die young--but not as a result of an animal or tv thing. He always thought it would be something like a car accident. So apparently, he lived his life with that in mind and when he got married and had kids, he made sure to organize his money, etc., with that in mind, to take care of them.



Yah, I know, I guess I should have said I found it sad, not odd. Had never read it before in an interview and it caught me off-guard. I mean, why is it always people you _like_ that say this ...


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## Bafta1 (Oct 28, 2007)

James said:


> Dawn is and has always been my one and only celebrity crush...
> 
> I watched this program when I was 18 and it was amazing... I remember the scene where the french ladies of Allegro Fortissimo were in bathing costumes in the sauna... that image is totally burned into my brain... as were the 'nude' shots of dawn that she had done for the show.



Ditto!!!!!


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## RedVelvet (Oct 28, 2007)

I really wish they would release this on DVD...I had the tape years ago.....but I no longer own a VCR.


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## Lamia (Oct 29, 2007)

I first saw her in The Young Ones as the Easter bunny. After that I loved her in a little show called "Five Go Mad at Dorsett" or something like that. I remember they were adults pretending to be kids solving mysteries. I only saw the one show. I have never seen it since and would love to have a copy of it. "You rather are a brick" and "lashings of ginger beer" are two phrases that stick out in my mind. 

What I love most about her and the shows she's been in her weight wasn't the focus or even commented on. In the states fat characters are there to be fat characters. Things are slowly changing....slowly.


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## Jes (Oct 29, 2007)

Lamia said:


> "Five Go Mad at Dorsett" .



best.thing.ever. 

did you see the others in that series? like the one that's Spinal Tap before Spinal Tap was made? Like, JUST like it? 

lashings of ginger beer for all, btw!


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## sweet&fat (Oct 31, 2007)

I remember very vividly watching Dawn French dressed as a playboy bunny on French and Saunders and thinking for the very first time that a woman could be beautiful and fat, or even more beautiful because she was fat. Hooray for Dawn French!


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## stefanie (Oct 31, 2007)

CurvyEm said:


> I have spent my whole life adoring dawn french.. But I can't respect her as big role model. She's announced to the world that shes retireing because she knows that her size will cause her to die soon.



Hi, *CurvyEm*. I think it's like in the quote *Liz -(di-va)* provided in post #11 - from that quote, I don't think Dawn French was thinking she would die from being fat, or anything like that.

IMO it's more of a middle-age thing. When you get into your fifties, you take a lot of stock in where you've been and where you're going. You begin to be *very* aware that "time is running out," no matter how healthy you are. It's a matter of sorting out priorities. A lot of women go through massive changes at that point in life (not just the physical ones.) That's how I interpreted it, anyway ...


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## Ruby Ripples (Oct 31, 2007)

Lamia said:


> I first saw her in The Young Ones as the Easter bunny. After that I loved her in a little show called "Five Go Mad at Dorsett" or something like that. I remember they were adults pretending to be kids solving mysteries. I only saw the one show. I have never seen it since and would love to have a copy of it. "You rather are a brick" and "lashings of ginger beer" are two phrases that stick out in my mind.
> 
> What I love most about her and the shows she's been in her weight wasn't the focus or even commented on. In the states fat characters are there to be fat characters. Things are slowly changing....slowly.




We grew up in the UK on books by a children's author called Enid Blyton. She wrote thousands and one set was stories about a group of children who called themselves The Famous Five, and had adventures. They were terribly twee, very middle class, and anyone with a 5 o'clock shadow or grubby coat was viewed with extreme suspicion, spied on by the children and of course subsequently turned out to be crooks. The children would during their adventures go camping and inevitably had tinned peaches, sardines, and lashings and lashings of ginger beer, all set out nicely by Ann, who loved to be the little housewife of the group. I kid you not. Anyway, Five Go Mad in Dorset was a complete mickey take of Enid Blyton books, in almost every respect, except the adult ones! French and Saunders were part of The Comic Strip then, I've put links below to explain, and show where you can maybe get the dvd. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comic_Strip

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007LPLRY/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## DJ_S (Nov 1, 2007)

> qwertyman173
> 
> 
> 
> I always liked Dawn French on TV. One of the first celebrities I was attracted to, and she was very funny




I've allways thought Dawn French was hot and funny!! The better half of french and Saunders!!

I first came across Dawn French when I lived in the UK.....And was So jellous of Lenny Henry!!

A french series (F&S) aired a couple of years ago, about 8 episodes from memory...that was great allso, as it seemed to focus more on Dawn, as the leading Role, or so it seemed! 





> Ruby Ripples Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Lamia*
> 
> 
> ...




Cheers Ruby, for the heads up! ^_^


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## Waxwing (Nov 2, 2007)

Dawn French is fantastic. 

Hasn't she been married to the equally genius Lenny Henry for ever?


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## snuggletiger (Nov 2, 2007)

Always loved Dawn French in the Vicar of Dibley. Very spunky character and I wish here in the States we could have seen more of her comedy.


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## EtobicokeFA (Nov 2, 2007)

I have been a fan of work, since I first caught her on F&S! Anybody know if their is a copy for the North American audience!


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## Lamia (Nov 4, 2007)

Jes said:


> best.thing.ever.
> 
> did you see the others in that series? like the one that's Spinal Tap before Spinal Tap was made? Like, JUST like it?
> 
> lashings of ginger beer for all, btw!



That's the only one I have seen. I didn't even know it was in a series. A friend had taped it and we would watch it every once in a while along with The Young Ones and Kids in the Hall.


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## DJ_S (Nov 5, 2007)

Let Them Eat Cake 1999

Episodes: 
1. The Pox 
2. Murder 
3. The Portrait
4. Making Voopee 
5. A Marrige of Convenience 
6. The Royal Command Performance 


http://www.demonoid.com/files/download/HTTP/1126755/19143985


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