Dawn French, 62, says she is 'back to being a barrel' following her 7st 7lbs weight loss but she 'doesn't give a f**k' and refuses to 'dislike herself'

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Dawn French has said that she has put on weight again after her staggering seven and a half stone loss in 2014.

Speaking on her podcast French and Saunders: T**ting About, the actress, 62, said she is 'back to being an entire barrel' but 'doesn't give a f**k'.

The Vicar Of Dibley star didn't disclose how much weight she has put on, but said she refuses to 'dislike herself' and is happy as long as she can keep walking. 

The comedian dramatically starting losing weight in 2011 following her split from Lenny Henry and in 2014, she revealed that it was so she could have keyhole surgery for a secret hysterectomy after a cancer scare. 

Pictured: Dawn French has said that she has put weight on following her staggering seven and a half stone loss in 2014 (pictured last month in London) 

Speaking on the podcast alongside Jennifer Saunders, Dawn said: 'I've gone back to being an entire barrel but do you know what, I'm going to be 63 this year, I don't give a f**k, I really don't, so long as I can walk.

'I'm not going to be stingy to myself anymore. I never did dislike anything about my body, even when I was very, very fat. I refuse to be forced to dislike myself.

'I used to get really angry when I did lose weight, people going, ''You look so well,'' as if you looked awful before - rewarding you for managing it, which is not easy, I accept that.

'But I didn't want people to give me approval. It's so patronising.' 

'I don't give a f**k!' The actress, 62, said she is 'back to being an entire barrel' but 'doesn't give a f**k' (pictured, left, after her weight loss in 2015 and, right, and before in 2005) 

Confidence: Dawn insisted she refuses to 'dislike herself' and said she is happy as long as she can keep walking (pictured last month)

Dawn looked happy and healthy when she reprised her role of Geraldine Granger in The Vicar Of Dibley for BBC's Big Night In earlier this year during the height of lockdown. 

The star also looked slim when she stepped out in London last month for a two-minute Silent Stand to demand help for theatres amid the coronavirus crisis.   

The comedian started losing weight in 2011 amid speculation she'd had a gastric band fitted or was suffering from stress after her split from Lenny Henry.

In 2014, Dawn revealed the real reason behind her weight loss and said she needed to have a hysterectomy following a cancer scare.

Before: The comedian dramatically starting losing weight in 2011 following her split from Lenny Henry (pictured in 2007)

Candid: In 2014, Dawn revealed her weight-loss was so she could have keyhole surgery for a hysterectomy (pictured, left, post weight-loss in 2017, and, right, pre weight-loss in 2010) 

She said at the time her doctor was convinced she had uterine cancer and although the results of a first biopsy came back clear he ordered a second one which prompted her to make the decision to have surgery to remove her womb.

Dawn was given the choice to have an invasive operation but opted for keyhole surgery instead and was told she would need to lose weight to help ensure it was a success. 

She eventually lost 7.5st in total from her 19st frame. 

She told the audience at her 30 Million Minutes tour at the time: 'When I was due to have my hysterectomy the doc told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via keyhole, and I would recover in three weeks or so. 

Happy and healthy: Dawn looked happy and healthy when she reprised her role of Geraldine Granger in The Vicar Of Dibley for BBC's Big Night In earlier this year during lockdown  

'Otherwise it would be big open surgery, and three months to recover. So, I set about dropping a few stone. 

'No magic wand, just tiny, joyless low-cal eating and lots more walking for weeks and weeks. It was grim. I lost seven-and-a-half stone. I could have the keyhole surgery. Great. That's all it was, practical.'

The weight loss came around 14 months after her split from Lenny Henry, 62. At the time there was speculation it had been caused by the stress of the divorce.

Dawn, who has since got remarried to Mark Bignell, has previously spoken about her weight loss over the years.

Split: The comedian starting losing weight in 2011 amid speculation she'd had a gastric band fitted or was suffering from stress after her split from Lenny Henry (pictured in 2009) 

In 2017, she told Loose Women: 'I shed the weight a long time ago, I go up a bit, down a bit, feel no different.

'I'm still Dawn, I liked the old Dawn, I may go there again, depends how many doughnuts I decide to eat.'

While she also told an Australian magazine: 'My being fat kind of made it okay for others to be fat. But then what happened was that I slightly betrayed the fat club by losing a lot of weight. 

'And then when I put 3st back on, it was as if I had swung back towards the fat club and everyone stopped freaking out.'