Lenny Henry

Sir Lenworth George Henry (born 29 August 1958) is a British-Jamaican comedian, actor, presenter and writer. He gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming a regular cast member of the children's entertainment show Tiswas and the sketch comedy show Three of a Kind. In 1984, he began The Lenny Henry Show, which ran until 2005 and varied between sketch show and sitcom during its run. He was the most prominent black British comedian of the late 1970s and 1980s, and much of his material served to celebrate and parody his African-Caribbean roots.

In 1985, he co-founded the charity Comic Relief with the comedy screenwriter Richard Curtis. He has appeared in numerous other TV programmes, including starring in the sitcom Chef! and hosting the talent show The Magicians. Since the 2010s, he has transitioned towards more serious acting roles on stage and screen. He appears in the Amazon Prime series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In 2006, the British public ranked Henry number 18 in ITV's poll of TV's 50 Greatest Stars.

Henry was the chancellor of Birmingham City University. In February 2024, he announced his planned retirement from the position at the end of the 2023‍–‍24 academic year after eight years in the post.