Dawn sells house in ‘too trendy’ coastal idyll
SHE was the vicar who tried to bring verve and modernity to the sleepy TV village of Dibley, but such a transformation doesn’t seem to suit Dawn French in real life. She is moving out of the real idyll of Fowey in Cornwall because it has become too ‘cool and trendy’.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the comedian has sold her treasured southwest England home and has decamped to a more low-key area. The 63-year-old has owned Point Neptune House, which boasts huge, arched windows and stunning sea views, for 15 years. The property is considered one of the most desirable houses in the town, but it is visible to the hordes of tourists that visit.
A source said: ‘Dawn is low-profile and private. The fact that Fowey has recently become cool and trendy isn’t what she finds appealing per se. It can get very busy now during summer. Dawn will always love Fowey and had 15 wonderful years living there. She will miss all the locals who made her feel so welcome.’
Ms French, who starred as Geraldine Granger in The Vicar of Dibley, moved into the listed building in 2006 with her thenhusband Lenny Henry and their daughter Billie. The couple divorced in 2010. In 2013, she married therapist Mark Bignell.