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<\/p>\nIt’s one of the most beloved moments of sitcom slapstick \u2013 Dawn French as Vicar Geraldine Granger jumping feet-first into a hilariously deep puddle.<\/p>\n
However an attempt to recreate the classic scene from the Vicar of Dibley led to over a decade of crippling pain and an operation, the actress has revealed.<\/p>\n
During a one-woman show last week, Ms French, 65, told the audience: ‘One of the most enjoyable moments in my work life was being asked to jump in that puddle It seemed to tickle a few funny bones. So much so that it was repeated in another episode.<\/p>\n
‘Honestly to this day, people still send me films of themselves jumping into puddles.’<\/p>\n
In 2009, the producers of Paul O’Grady’s chat show asked her to stand in for him and recreate the moment to end the programme.<\/p>\n
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It’s one of the most beloved moments of sitcom slapstick \u2013 Dawn French as Vicar Geraldine Granger jumping feet-first into a hilariously deep puddle (pictured here)<\/p>\n
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However an attempt to recreate the classic scene from the Vicar of Dibley led to over a decade of crippling pain and an operation, the actress (pictured) has revealed<\/p>\n
Describing the idea as ‘catastrophically misguided’, she added: ‘They constructed a 10ft-high hill out of scaffolding covered in AstroTurf. The idea was that there was a long enough drop for me to disappear into.<\/p>\n
‘Then some bright spark had the idea of having a shallow silicon membrane containing two inches of water on top so that, as I jumped through, the water would splash up and look like a deep puddle.<\/p>\n
‘But what was I falling onto? The answer is absolutely nothing. Except for 10ft below there were two very thin crash mats in a film studio with a flat concrete floor. Any fool would know this was a disaster in the making. Any fool but me.<\/p>\n
‘The producers took me to show me and see if I was all right with it. And I replied ‘Of course I’m all right with it, I’m British’.’<\/p>\n
She showed the audience in Exeter on Thursday a picture of her about to jump, saying: ‘This is actually quite an emotional picture. This is the last time that my body is actually intact. This is the last time I had two functioning legs.<\/p>\n
‘I went 10ft down and plump on to the two crash mats. One leg twisted very awkwardly underneath me and I landed very heavily. I heard the worst twanging noise you could ever imagine.<\/p>\n
‘I knew I was in trouble but I completed the sketch. I clearly felt like I’d rather die than admit weakness.<\/p>\n
‘The producers were asking if I was all right but I said I was fine. I drove five hours home to Cornwall trying to convince myself everything was all right but it wasn’t.’<\/p>\n
For the following years, she walked with a cane and was in pain but in 2017 this became unbearable so she went to a surgeon.<\/p>\n
‘I saw this wonderful guy who works with sports people. He said I needed to rest it for eight weeks. He suspected I would tell him I was going on stage that night so said he’d give me a temporary fix.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
She showed the audience in Exeter on Thursday a picture of her about to jump, saying: ‘This is actually quite an emotional picture. This is the last time that my body is actually intact. This is the last time I had two functioning legs’<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/10\/21\/75272793-12502217-image-a-32_1694377878261.jpg\")
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She said:\u00a0‘I went 10ft down and plump on to the two crash mats. One leg twisted very awkwardly underneath me and I landed very heavily. I heard the worst twanging noise you could ever imagine’<\/p>\n
‘He said I was going to need a knee-replacement in the future. He said he’d inject me in the knee with a steroid and I could only have three of these injections.<\/p>\n
‘The first was like a miracle but it wore off. For the next 18 months I was writing a book at home so I just dealt with the pain. The next job was in panto at the Palladium, a lot of dancing and jumping.<\/p>\n
‘So I had the second injection. That worked a dream but it wore off and I was back to hobbling for another year and a bit.<\/p>\n
‘Then along came comedy The Trouble with Maggie Cole [2020]. I used that last precious injection. Then it came to the Death on the Nile job [a film out in 2022], a period piece which would mean I was in heels. I was in agony and had to give in.<\/p>\n
‘I called the surgeon to have the [knee replacement] operation. Then he told me I couldn’t have three injections in total but three a year. I could have had loads of injections for all those painful years.’ Miss French was seen walking with a decorated cane matching her floral coat in 2009, a few months after the accident.<\/p>\n
In 2020, she told Radio Times: ‘It’s a privilege to get older. It’s not for wusses. Things go a bit wrong. Your rheumatoid arthritis knee stops you walking your dog a long way, you know you’ve got to have a little op at some point.’<\/p>\n