The Lenny Henry Birthday Show
BBC ONE, 8.00PM
Lenny Henry has been on our TV screens for so long it’s hard to believe that he’s only 60. But then again, he was only 16 when he bunked off school in Dudley to attend an audition for the ITV talent show New Faces – which he went on to win in 1975. That win launched a long career that started earlier than most people’s. It has encompassed everything from the tough club circuit of the Seventies to the alternative scene of the Eighties and his own television sketch shows, not to mention roles in numerous sitcoms, TV dramas, occasional movie appearances and a critically acclaimed Othello in 2010.
Hosted by Trevor Mcdonald, this evening of clips, anecdotes and tributes was recorded in front of an audience packed with celebrity friends and admirers from the world of television, theatre and film – all eager to celebrate a man who wasn’t just funny but a pioneering presence and a unique influence on British entertainment. Henry himself takes a look back over his career, revisiting favourite characters such as Theophilus P Wildebeeste and pirate radio DJ Delbert Wilkins, plus there are even some new sketches featuring very special guests.