Dawn French said no to Strictly because she wanted to "properly dance", not be the comedy act

French, 62, was speaking on her new Audible podcast, French & Saunders: Titting About with comedy partner Jennifer Saunders and revealed she'd been asked about it, but didn't reveal for which series.

“They’ve approached me in a circling way before now about it," she said. “If I did it, I’d want to properly dance. I’d want to be taken seriously and you can’t. At this age, you’re not taken seriously."

According to the Irish Independent, the star of The Vicar of Dibley and Delicious continued: “Also, if you’re from comedy they want to shoot you out of a cannonball like Ann Widdecombe. And I don’t want that. I want the nicest dresses, the most elegant other dancer and to take it seriously, and nobody would want that.”

Saunders, 62, also ruled out appearing on Strictly Come Dancing.

“I can’t dance. I’ve got no rhythm," she said. “I’d do it if it wasn’t for the background films… Please don’t make me do your silly films and your stupid jokes and skip off with a dancer hand-in-hand.

“I like watching it. I’m not saying I don’t like watching it. But I have to say, being on it would make me cringe…

“There’s a shape a person of our age makes when they’re dancing… We know we’d be with Anton du Beke. We wouldn’t get Aljaz [Škorjanec, professional dancer] or any of the nice ones.

“And there’s a shape a woman’s body makes… a stiffness to us."

French & Saunders: Titting About features the double act discussing assorted topics in their typically irreverent style and, according to Audible, “will leave no stone unturned in their thorough quest to entertain, humour and enlighten” on the six-part series.

French & Saunders: Titting About is available to download exclusively at Audible now.

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