By Sarah Bull


'I had ballooned up': Dawn French has revealed she was prompted into losing weight for health reasons


She stunned fans earlier this month when she stepped out looking noticeably slimmer.

And now Dawn French has revealed the reasons behind her astonishing four-and-a-half stone weight loss.

The 53-year-old comedienne told Phillip Schofield and Jenni Falconer on This Morning today that she had been prompted into shedding the pounds for health reasons.

Honesty: Dawn told Phillip Schofield and Jenni Falconer on This Morning today she has lost an astonishing four-and-a-half stone


She said: 'I think when you're over 50 you have to pay attention to your health a bit.

'I want to be there for my kid and I've got quite a lot of exciting adventures that I want to do.

'I had just ballooned up more than i had wanted to but you can always address it. You just have to eat less and walk more - that's what I'm doing.'

However, Dawn added she had been stunned by the reaction after she showed off her new figure at the Glamour Women of the Year awards at the beginning of the month.

Shrinking woman: Dawn looked slimmer as she arrived at the 2011 Glamour Women of the Year Awards in Berkeley Square, London, at the beginning of the month

Weight loss: The self-confessed chocaholic has slimmed down, left, compared to this time last year, right, not long after her split from her husband at the time, Lenny Henry


She said: 'I never really care much about what the shell is and everybody is much more interested in it than me. And I'm quite surprised about that.'

Dawn, who split from husband Lenny Henry in April 2010, also spoke about her dating life and admitted she is enjoying being a single woman once again.

She said: 'Who knows what will happen with me? I've been married for such a long time so the last thing I want is to be at the moment is to be in a great big relationship.

Summer style: Dawn arrived at the ITV studios today wearing a pretty floral dress and black leggings


'So I'm doing the opposite to what I've done for the last thirty years and just taking life as it comes.

It's good, it's exciting and quite frightening in a way, but good frightening. every day is a new thing. Quite a lot of new things that haven't happened to me before are happening and I'm relishing it.

'Even the word dating I just find repulsive because suddenly it makes me feel like a teenager and I'm not a teenager. I can't even think about it in those terms but I'm having some fun, that's what I'm doing.'

Back on the market: Dawn said she is dating again but finding things a bit daunting after splitting from husband Lenny Henry last year


Dawn was on the show to promote the paperback release of her first novel, A Tiny Bit Marvellous.

And she told Schofield and Falconer that she is already halfway through her second book, and having to turn down television work to concentrate on her writing.

She said: 'I'm halfway through my second novel now and I'm longing to get back to it. I cut it off in order to come up to London to make Roger & Val series two which I just finished making on Friday.

'So I just feel like I want to get back down to Cornwall and get on with that book!'


source:dailymail