From The Vault: Dawn French

From The Vault: Dawn French

From the dislocated, sun soaked childhood of an RAF family to a life spent shaping British comedy, Dawn French’s story is one of resilience, warmth and hard won self knowledge. In this generous conversation with James O’Brien, recorded five years ago, she reflects on the moves that defined her early years, the confidence gifted to her by loving parents, and the shock of losing her father just as adulthood was beginning. She recalls her time at boarding school in Plymouth, the drama teacher who changed her life, and the year she spent in New York after winning a fiercely competitive debating scholarship.

Dawn speaks openly about stumbling into comedy by accident, her early days at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and the moment living with Jennifer Saunders set the course for their four-decade partnership. She revisits the wild beginnings of The Comic Strip, moonlighting as a teacher by day and performing in a smoky Soho club by night.

Along the way, she discusses the unusual pressures of fame, the introversion that sits behind the jazz hands, and the fierce, uncomplicated love that shaped her as both daughter and mother. Warm, candid and often very funny, this episode offers an intimate portrait of a national treasure who remains thoughtful, grounded and endlessly generous in spirit.

Avsnitt(324)

Alexander Armstrong: My default setting is fear- I expect the worst of people

Alexander Armstrong: My default setting is fear- I expect the worst of people

Before Pointless, Classic FM and comedy stardom, Alexander Armstrong was a restless kid growing up in rural Northumberland- lonely at boarding school, obsessed with music, and quietly desperate to per...

17 Okt 202553min

Jack Thorne: “I was allergic to moving - the doctor said, ‘This might be forever.’”

Jack Thorne: “I was allergic to moving - the doctor said, ‘This might be forever.’”

Growing up in Bristol, acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne was a shy, politically driven kid who believed he could change the world- first through politics, then acting, before discoveri...

10 Okt 20251h 6min

Cor Hutton: The Quadruple Amputee Who Found Her Feet

Cor Hutton: The Quadruple Amputee Who Found Her Feet

In 2013, businesswoman and mum Cor Hutton was given just a five percent chance of survival after contracting pneumonia that developed into sepsis. She pulled through, but lost both hands and her legs ...

6 Okt 202551min

Jamie Oliver: “I’d gone from being skint to having a lot of money, I felt like a fake.”

Jamie Oliver: “I’d gone from being skint to having a lot of money, I felt like a fake.”

Before he became one of the world’s best-known chefs, Jamie Oliver was a dyslexic kid growing up in his parents’ pub in rural Essex, learning the value of hard work, fresh food, and family.In this epi...

3 Okt 20251h 3min

Leo Varadkar: Former Prime Minister of Ireland on Power and Letting Go

Leo Varadkar: Former Prime Minister of Ireland on Power and Letting Go

Before becoming Ireland’s youngest Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar was a Dublin GP with bold ambitions and a belief that politics could be a kind of medicine for society.In this episode of Full Disclosure, Ja...

26 Sep 20251h 5min

Dr Richard Shepherd: Lessons from 23,000 Postmortems- including Hungerford, Hillsborough and Princess Diana

Dr Richard Shepherd: Lessons from 23,000 Postmortems- including Hungerford, Hillsborough and Princess Diana

Britain’s leading forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd has performed over 23,000 postmortems and given evidence in some of the most high-profile cases of our time, from Hungerford to Hillsborough,...

19 Sep 20251h 1min

Arabella Weir: At nine my mum said, “I can’t bear the sight of you”

Arabella Weir: At nine my mum said, “I can’t bear the sight of you”

Actor, comedian and bestselling author Arabella Weir grew up in a family that prized intellect and appearances but struggled to offer love. In this episode of Full Disclosure, she tells James O’Brien ...

12 Sep 20251h

Natalie Haynes: Greek Myths, Medea and the Comedy of Classics

Natalie Haynes: Greek Myths, Medea and the Comedy of Classics

Natalie Haynes has never been easy to categorise. A stand-up comedian turned broadcaster and best-selling author, she has built a career out of making the ancient world vivid, funny and urgent. In thi...

5 Sep 20251h 4min

Populärt inom Samhälle & Kultur

podme-dokumentar
en-mork-historia
gynning-berg
p3-dokumentar
svenska-fall
mardromsgasten
skaringer-nessvold
aftonbladet-krim
killradet
creepypodden-med-jack-werner
rattsfallen
spar
flashback-forever
hor-har
aterforeningen-en-podcast-med-thorsten-och-richard-flinck-av-sigge-eklund
vad-blir-det-for-mord
historiska-brott
rysarpodden
kod-katastrof
rss-mer-an-bara-morsa