Dawn French, 66, reveals she finally had a knee replacement 14 years after the Vicar of Dibley stunt went horribly wrong and left her in constant pain

Dawn French has revealed she finally had a knee replacement after 14 years of pain.

The 66-year-old comedian previously treated her knee pain with steroids after injuring herself while recreating a Vicar Of Dibley stunt on The Paul O’Grady Show in 2009.

But addressing her Instagram followers on Wednesday, she revealed that she had undergone the operation and that it was a success, sharing a photo of her bandaged leg with the caption: “It’s done.” It has a new knee in it. Now we begin the healing…’

Earlier this month Dawn revealed she had been forced to cancel her remaining tour dates after a setback due to her arthritis.

She began: “Hi guys. This is with a tremendously heavy heart and anger [expletive] that I must admit defeat and postpone all my remaining tour dates starting tonight.”

Preparation: Keeping her followers up to date with her health journey, she shared a selfie together at a healthcare facility ahead of her scan last week

Dawn continued: “My stupid, selfish old arthritic knee has completely given up and won’t let me go. I swear a lot. I am robbed of letting you down. Excuse me.

“The advantage is that I can have the operation that I so urgently need carried out earlier than planned.” Ouch. And again sorry. We are working hard to move all dates. Beer with…’

She has been keeping her followers updated on her health journey and shared a selfie together at a healthcare facility before her scan last week.

Posing in her hospital gown, she joked: “I’m wearing my big girl pants. And my boyfriend hangs out.”

Dawn’s knee problems come from re-enacting one of the sitcom’s most popular slapstick moments: Reverend Geraldine Granger jumping feet first into an impossibly deep puddle.

However, the attempt to recreate the classic scene led to more than a decade of debilitating pain and surgery.

During her one-woman show in October, Dawn told the audience: “One of the best moments of my working life was being asked to jump in that puddle.” It seemed to tickle some funny bones. So much so that it was repeated in another episode.

“Honestly, to this day people still send me videos of themselves jumping in puddles.”

Iconic: One of the sitcom slapstick’s most beloved moments is Dawn, in which the Reverend Geraldine Granger jumps feet first into an impossibly deep puddle, but the relaxation came at a price.

Ouch: Trying to recreate the classic Vicar of Dibley scene led to more than a decade of debilitating pain and surgery, the actress reveals (pictured in 2009).

Dawn then playfully recreated the sketch for Paul’s talk show, but admitted the idea was “disastrously misleading”.

She added: “They built a 10ft high hill out of scaffolding covered in artificial grass. The idea was that there was a drop off long enough to disappear into.

“Then a bright spark came with the idea of ​​having a flat silicone membrane with five centimeters of water on top, so that when it jumps through, the water splashes up and looks like a deep puddle.”

“But what did I notice? The answer is absolutely nothing. In a film studio with a flat concrete floor, there were two very thin fall protection mats at a depth of 3 meters. Any fool would know that a disaster is brewing. Any fool but me.

“The producers took me to show me and see if I was OK. And I replied, “Of course I agree, I’m British.”

Showing the audience a photo of herself about to jump, she said: “It’s actually quite an emotional photo.” This is the last time my body will be truly intact. This is the last time I have two functional legs.

“I fell three meters and landed on the two fall protection mats. One leg twisted very awkwardly under me and I landed very hard. I heard the worst booming sound imaginable.

“I knew I was in trouble, but I finished the draft. I clearly felt that I would rather die than admit my weakness.

“The producers asked if I was okay, but I said I was fine. “I drove five hours home to Cornwall and tried to convince myself that everything was fine, but it wasn’t.”

For the next few years she walked with a cane and was in pain, but in 2017 it became unbearable and she went to a surgeon.

“I saw a great guy working with athletes.” He told me to leave it alone for eight weeks. He suspected I was going to tell him I was going on stage that night, so he said he would give me a solution.

“He said I would need a knee replacement in the future. He said he would inject a steroid into my knee and that I could only get three of those injections.

“The first one was like a miracle, but it went away.” I spent the next 18 months at home writing a book just to deal with the pain. The next job was panto at the Palladium, lots of dancing and jumping.

“So I got the second chance. It worked like a dream, but it went away and left me limping for another year and a while.

Struggling: She recently shared a photo of herself jumping and said: “It’s quite an emotional photo actually.” This is the last time my body is actually intact.

She said: “I fell three meters and landed on the two safety mats.” One leg twisted very awkwardly under me and I landed very hard. I heard the worst booming sound.

“Then came the comedy The Trouble with Maggie Cole.” [2020]. I used this last precious injection. Then came the work “Death on the Nile.” [a film out in 2022], a period piece that would mean I wore heels. I was in pain and had to submit.

“I called the surgeon to… [knee replacement] Operation. Then he told me that I can’t get three injections in total, but three a year. I could have had many injections during all those painful years.”

In 2009, a few months after the accident, Dawn was seen walking with an ornate cane to match her floral coat.

In 2020, she told Radio Times: “It’s a privilege to become a parent.” It is not for the faint of heart. Things go a little wrong. Your rheumatoid arthritis in your knee means you can’t walk your dog far, you know you’ll have to have minor surgery at some point.”