Comedy legend Dawn French has revealed she would happily turn her back on acting to concentrate on writing.
The Vicar of Dibley star is currently starring in Sky 1 drama Delicious and will soon present her first entertainment series, Little Big Shots, on ITV.
But Dawn, 59, insists we are likely to see less of her on screen in the future. She says: “I wouldn’t be sad at all if I never acted again. I get so much pleasure from writing.
“I like being solitary, being inside my own head and not talking too much all day.
“I do very little in front of the camera these days. I’ve got no desire to do jazz hands any more.”
She says that once you write and produce, “it’s harder to put yourself in other people’s hands unless it’s too good to miss.”
Dawn reckons setting Delicious near her family and home in Cornwall helped sway her to take the role of Gina in the story of love, lies and sex.
Gina is the ex wife of chef and entrepreneur Leo Vincent, played by Iain Glen. He is now married to Sam, Emilia Fox, but is keeping a secret from both women which will see the two becoming unlikely allies.
Dawn’s other big project, Little Big Shots, was a huge hit in the US and is a version of Britain’s Got Talent for kids who can do extraordinary things.
It was filmed in December and Dawn is hopeful of a hit.
She says: “It’s a charming and delightful show. There is no knockout element. It’s a nice, safe environment for them to perform in.
“There are some singers and dancers but there are also all sorts of other skills – we’ve got some musicians and some amazing sporty kids.
“They’re aged three to 12, mainly from this country but a few from elsewhere. They are kids that work very, very hard and are extremely talented.
“I didn’t think it was my kind of show to be completely honest, I’m not a natural presenter.
“But I saw the US version which was on Ellen DeGeneres and went viral. It became so big, she had to do it as a separate job.
“I watched that at home and loved it. I like jobs that are fun and make me feel a little bit challenged.”