Dawn French says racists tried to burn down house while she was married to Lenny Henry

'Although that was hugely disappointing and shocking, you have to get past it'

Lenny Henry and Dawn French at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards, 23 November 2009 (Rex Features)

Dawn French reveals the racist abuse she and fellow comedian Sir Lenny Henry received during their marriage.

In an interview with The Sunday Times Magazine, ahead of the publication of her book Me, You. A Diary next month, French says she had to deal with attempts to burn down the couple's house and individuals who "left sh*t on the door", adding: "although that was hugely disappointing and shocking, you have to get past it."

"I never thought, ‘Oh, look at me in a mixed-race relationship!’ I fell in love with a man and he happened to be black and we adopted a mixed-race daughter. I only realised it was an issue when there was hatred from utter t****," she stated.

Having met on the alternative comedy circuit, French and Henry were married for 25 years and adopted a daughter named Billie; they separated in 2010 on amicable terms. French married charity worker Mark Bignell in 2013.

"Lenny was starting to change the landscape, too," she added. "He was saying, ‘I’m fed up with being the only black man in the room, and I’m going to do some black characters.’ That was natural for him, he was growing into his skin, his age, his authority and wisdom and identity. When you are getting on with life, you’re blind to things like you might be a pioneer."

"Getting shit on your doorstep — these things make you steel up a bit and think, ‘Bring it on. I can deal with this.’ It was just us living in our time and doing our jobs and being the people we were. It wasn’t brave, it was just doing the right thing. And we were lucky we had a big house and a gate and could employ people to protect us when we needed it. Lots of mixed-race couples weren’t so lucky."

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