Dawn French's Geraldine pays an emotional tribute to Alice Tinker
The Vicar of Dibley's lockdown special featured Dawn French's Geraldine overwrought with emotion during her tribute to Alice Tinker, played by the late, great comedy actress Emma Chambers.
Emma sadly passed away in 2018 aged 53, with Dawn recently revealing it had been a struggle to film the scene dedicated to the actress and her character.
In the second of three 10-minute specials of the much-loved BBC1 sitcom, Dawn's vicar to took the knee to show her support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the village green.
She then returned home, and addressing the camera, spoke about her immeasurable loss following Alice's death three years ago.
"OK friends, dear friends, this is going to be a weird one, as it's about love, and laughter and loss," Geraldine said. "Because Dibley is such full of life but everywhere I go now, if I'm standing in my kitchen, if I go into the vestry, it's always little Alice Tinker I see.
"And she died, three years ago this week."
She continued: "Who is the person I've most loved in my life? Well I'm very fond of my handsome husband, but in the end it's got to be her. My own darling dumb blonde.
"She had one husband, six children and three brain cells. But so much love in her heart she could defrost a frozen pizza on a winter's day. She wasn't the brightest bulb in the box but when we lost her, all our lights went out."
Becoming visibly upset, Dawn's Geraldine went on: "I believe in eternal life in heaven but I also believe in eternal life on earth, because those who die are eternally here, alive in our memories and in who we are... Because of, because of how they changed us.
"So message for today, love the ones you're with especially today in these hardest of times and God bless you all."
Dawn also shared a black and white photo of herself in character with Emma as Alice Tinker, and wrote the caption: "Miss her. And all those we've lost..."
My heart goes out to you, I haven’t stopped crying, this was the most beautiful speech <3 pic.twitter.com/CmeQSDJr5d
— Cress® | women enthusiast (@doctors_oswald) December 14, 2020
Fans were moved to tears, with one tweeting: "We can usually rely upon @Dawn_French Vicar Of Dibley to make us laugh out loud but last nights lockdown episode was very different and brought on very different emotions. It was a lovely tribute to Alice and BLM. Thank you,"
Another added: "What a beautiful episode tonight, I cried when you spoke of Alice, a fabulous tribute."
Speaking previously about the eulogy, Dawn told Lorraine on Lorraine Kelly: "We try to be light and funny but we also remember those who aren't with us anymore. There's a eulogy to Alice there, which wasn't very easy for me to film, but was important to do."
The Vicar Of Dibley will continue on BBC One next Monday.
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