What Dawn really wants for Christmas

The comedian opens up about her relationship with daughter Billie and…

Dawn French has revealed her dearest wish – that she could permanently mend her, at times difficult, relationship with daughter Billie.

The actress has said that she no longer lives with Billie due to their ‘frequent wars’.

Dawn, 60, admitted she was drawn to her role in Sky drama Delicious because of the relationship between her character, Gina, and her daughter, Theresa.

Speaking at the launch of the second series, Dawn said the drama was about ‘two people who love each other very much but can’t abide each other for a lot of the time’.

It’s a common problem between mums and their teenage or 20-something daughters, and the star admitted she hoped that she would reach a better understanding with Billie, 26, who she adopted with her ex-husband, Sir Lenny Henry.

She added, ‘I’m always hoping it might be the case with my own daughter, and one day we’ll get to the other side. Time will tell.’

Dawn’s relationship with her own mother, Roma, wasn’t always smooth, although she was devastated when she died in 2012, aged 77.

‘I remember the wars I had with my own mum – knowing what it was like to be allergic to her for quite a lot of my teenage years!’ Dawn recalled wryly.

‘And then to wake up suddenly and go, “What am I thinking? This is my closest darling, someone I can completely rely on, who’s always got my back.”’

Here’s hoping that Dawn and Billie hit on the right recipe for their relationship – perhaps in time for Christmas. Delicious, Sky 1, Friday 29 December

‘I remember the wars I had with my own mum… I was allergic to her for a lot of my teenage years!’