Lenny Henry
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Lenny Henry and Dawn French’s split: Inside their 25-year marriage and aftermath

The comedian is hosting BBC One's Big Night In tonight

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Lenny Henry and Dawn French were once comedy’s golden couple.

When he hosts BBC One’s Big Night In tonight (April 23.), fans will undoubtedly remember when the pair were together.

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…

Lenny Henry and Dawn French (Credit: WENN)
Lenny Henry and Dawn French were married for 25 years (Credit: WENN)

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.

Dawn French and Lenny Henry
The couple split in 2010 (Credit: Splash News)

However, the couple, who have an adopted daughter together, didn’t split until almost a decade later after their child had turned 18.

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.”

Following the split, Dawn married her second husband Mark Bignell – the couple have now been married for seven years.

Lenny Henry Lisa Makin (Credit: Shutterstock)
Lenny Henry and Lisa Makin have been together since 2012 (Credit: Shutterstock)

Who is Lenny Henry’s girlfriend Lisa Makin?

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.”

Big Night In is on BBC One at 7pm tonight.

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor