Dawn French apologises for ‘mocking tone’ in video about Israel-Hamas conflict
The Vicar of Dibley star says sorry and takes down a video she posted about the war in Gaza after facing backlash.
Saturday 7 June 2025 18:00, UK
Dawn French has apologised and taken down a video she posted about the war in Gaza after facing backlash.
The popular actress and comedian said she apologised “unreservedly” after posting a video in a “mocking tone”.
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In the original 40-second clip, the Vicar of Dibley star said: “Complicated, no, but nuanced. But bottom line is no.”
Then, using a different tone, she went on: “Yeah, but you know they did a bad thing to us, yeah but no.
“But we want that land… and we have history… No.
“Those people aren’t really even people, are they really? No.”
On Saturday afternoon, she issued an apology, saying that in an effort to convey “an important message” she had “clumsily used a mocking tone”.
“My intention was NEVER to mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror of what happened on 7 October 2023,” she posted on X and Instagram.
She said her intention was to “point the finger of shame at the behaviour of the cruel leader on ALL sides of this atrocious war”.
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French faced criticised after her initial post.
Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman said she was “saddened” by it.
She said: “This mocking voice ‘bad thing’ of October 7 that Dawn (who I revere by the way) appears ro [sic] be mocking involved the most horrific terrorist attack.”
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MP Rosie Duffield responded to Oberman’s post, saying: “One can, and should hate what is happening in Gaza and also condemn the hideous events of October 7th.
“It is agonising to see events unfold, and requires extremely careful, measured and well-considered comments and actions. This is not that.”
Some social media users tried to pressure M&S, who French voices adverts for, over the incident.
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In October 2023, Hamas led other militant groups in a cross-border attack, killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 people hostage.
Since then, Israel has launched a number of large-scale campaigns in the region, including in Gaza where over 54,000 people have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the enclave.
Many of these are said to be women and children.
Israel claims to be targeting militants and blames collateral deaths on Hamas fighters positioning themselves in densely populated areas.
