The French revolution

Dawn French quit her sketch show because she felt so ugly. Now the "roly-poly comedian" wants us all to stop fretting about our faults. She talks body image, surviving the 1980s and owning her mistakes.

- HADLEY FREEMAN

It's a rainy Thursday night in September and the news is full of stories about a certain male comedian that make you want to grab your daughters and hide them in a cave. But inside The London Palladium a certain female comedian is spreading proud, defiant joy. "Hello, I'm beloved 1980s roly-poly comedian Dawn French," she says by way of introduction to her one-woman show, mocking and owning the once ubiquitous sneery description of her.

Dawn has been an adored member of the British comedy elite since French & Saunders first aired in 1987, and 36 years later that adoration appears not to have waned a jot. The audience - older couples, groups of young men, pairs of young women - gasp with delight at the stories from her career and her marriage to Lenny Henry, which ended in 2010. She describes the time Ben Elton came up to her at a party and told her he was writing a play: "And I want you to be the lead," he told her. She recreates her gushing excitement before switching back to playing a bemused Ben. "I said I want Hugh to play the lead. Hugh Laurie?" Ben did later write a play for her, she adds, and then puts up the poster on the screen behind her for those who have forgotten what that 1991 West End hit was called: Silly Cow. Across the aisle, Dan Levy from Schitt's Creek and Emma Corrin of The Crown are in near hysterics.

Dawn has called her own show Dawn French Is a Huge Twat and it consists of her describing her most idiotic moments. It will be followed by her latest book, The Twat Files, which includes stories from the show and more. "Now you've seen the twat in me and maybe it will help you recognise the twat in you - and we can celebrate being huge twats together!" she says at the end, arms aloft, and the audience roars with happiness.

The next day I meet Dawn, 66, backstage at The Palladium hours before her next show, and I apologise for the giant spot on my forehead.