Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French is to become the new Chancellor of Falmouth University.
The writer and performer will be officially welcomed to the university at her formal installation ceremony in the Cornish town in March 2015.
The announcement comes ahead of French’s one woman show coming to Cornwall in October.
The comedy legend, 56, who lives in Cornwall, said: “I actually trained to be a teacher, so have always had a keen interest in education and I jumped at the chance to join the team at Falmouth.
“Falmouth’s ties with the creative industries are what attracted me.
“I worked with Michael Grandage to devise and rehearse my current show at the university earlier this year and was amazed at the facilities and the calibre of students I met.
“It’s a beautiful place with so many subjects that are close to my heart. I’m already bursting with ideas and want to make sure that my Chancellorship is an active one, working with the many talented students.”
Professor Anne Carlisle, Vice-Chancellor at Falmouth, added: “We have searched carefully for the right individual to become Chancellor.
“It was important to us to find a person that can exemplify and identify with the broad range of skills that are needed to succeed in the creative industries today.
“As a pioneering artist who is respected worldwide as a performer, theatre-maker and writer, she is an ideal role model for young people looking to make their careers in the creative industries.
“Dawn is the perfect figurehead and inspiration for our students.
“Her passion and enthusiasm for the role and the university has already been infectious and she has a life-long association with, and total passion for, Cornwall.”
Last year, French married her partner Mark Bignell in the seaside town of Fowey, near St Austell.
The TV star, who won millions of viewers in the 13 years she played the title character Geraldine Granger in Richard Curtis’s hit sitcom, had previously been married to Lenny Henry but they divorced in 2010.
They have an adopted daughter called Billie.
French has also starred in comedy sketch show French and Saunders with Jennifer Saunders and Jam and Jerusalem.
