Dawn French has opened up about the "humiliating" comedy skit that saw her quit her popular comedy double act French and Saunders.
Speaking on a new BBC documentary with long-time comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, the 66-year-old recalled a sketch in which she sang beside US singer Anastacia on then-hit music show Top of the Pops.
Speaking on the BBC documentary, French recalled a costume designer laughing at the outfit she was due to wear for the sketch, and said: "I looked in the mirror and I thought 'yes, this isn't it. This isn't what Anastacia looks like'.
"But instead of finding it funny, I just thought 'oh, I don't like it'.
"It just felt like I wasn't in control of the comedy. The joke was on me. I hadn't controlled it in any way.
"It wasn't funny enough."
The sketch saw French perform Anastacia's hit I'm Outta Love, in front of a Top of the Pops audience.
"I got in the car and I just wept all the way home," she told the BBC documentary.
"And went: 'I hated that, I hated everything about that day. I'm never going to do that again. I'm never going to feel humiliated like that again'.
"I just hated it. And I hadn't ever hated it."
Saunders appeared surprised as French recounted the story, asking: "Was it that sketch that made you say 'we must stop now'? I just thought we got too old."I didn't know this was the reason you decided to...I didn't realise it was so traumatic you decided to end the whole act."
French and Saunders met while studying at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London in 1978, and soon began collaborating on comedy projects.
They rose to fame at London's The Comedy Store in the early 1980s, and began appearing on the BBC as French and Saunders from 1987, largely performing spoofs and satires.
Imagine...French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter aired on BBC One at 10.30pm on Wednesday, and is available on iPlayer.
