Dawn French was once repaid with flights on Concorde after making a private appearance as her character from The Vicar Of Dibley. 

The actor, who plays Geraldine Grainger in the BBC sitcom, has revealed how British Airways gave her free flights worth thousands of pounds after attending a leaving party for a member of cabin crew.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4 podcast Fortunately With Fi and Jane (via The Mirror), Dawn recalled: “They had a man who had worked for British Airways as cabin crew and was leaving after 40 years of service. They wanted me to bless the meal. To say, the grace before the meal.

“They weren’t allowed to give me money, but gave me a return ticket on Concord for two!”

She continued: “I had a cassock and dog collar and everything there. I got into it and thought this is completely odd and completely fraudulent.

“I’m not an actual vicar, and I’m going to go and say the grace as if I am and I’m going to get paid with plane flights for doing it, and it’s going to take all of five minutes and a little bit of fussing about afterwards!”

During the interview, Dawn also revealed how she is regularly asked to perform a number of religious duties, as people still mistake her for her character, who she began playing in 1994. 

“I have been asked to exorcise people’s homes. I’ve been asked to baptise their children,” she said. “You know the way people get a bit confused, the way people get angry at people in soap operas who are murderers and stuff.

“I have been asked to marry people. I haven’t said yes, because it’s illegal.”

Dawn was recently back on screen as Geraldine in a mini-series of Vicar Of Dibley lockdown specials. 

The show moved viewers to tears as the character spoke about the death of her fictional best friend Alice Tinker during an episode earlier this month, which also served as a tribute to actor Emma Chambers, who died in 2018. 

The Vicar Of Dibley originally ran from 1994 to 2007, with some Comic Relief shorts airing in 2007, 2013 and 2015.