Politics
How old is Lenny Henry and when was he married to Dawn French?
LENNY Henry is an English stand-up comedian and actor, who is known for being the co-founder of Comic Relief and his parts in various television series.
But, what else is there to know about the star, and when was he married to Dawn French? Here is the lowdown…
Who is Lenny Henry?
Lenny Henry is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer – with his full name being Lenworth George Henry.
The 62-year-old was born to Jamaican immigrant parents in Dudley, Worcestershire on August 29, 1958.
Apart from his stage and TV projects, he is also known for co-founding Comic Relief.
He is currently the Chancellor of Birmingham City University and was appointed as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999.
Lenny was also knighted in the Queen’s 2015 Birthday Honours for his services to drama and charity.
Throughout his career, Henry has been an advocate for ethnic minorities, in the 2014 BAFTAs he called the lack of ethnic minorities in the industry “appalling’.
When was he married to Dawn French?
The actor was married to fellow comedian Dawn French from 1984-2010 after meeting her on the alternative comedy circuit.
They adopted their daughter Billie who was born in 1991.
After 25 years of marriage, the pair separated in 2010, saying the decision to part ways was amicable.
Later, in 2016, Lenny was linked to Lisa Makin.
What has Lenny been in?
Lenny’s successful career in media spans over forty years, his first TV appearance was in the New Faces talent show where he won with his impersonation of Stevie Wonder.
His first series of The Lenny Henry Show aired on BBC in 1984 and showcased his stand-up talents and comedy spoofs.
Henry also produced and starred in his own five-part online series for BBC called, Conversations with my Wife – a fictional story following a couple’s Skype conversations whilst they are apart.
Lenny is not short of talent, having cracked the small screen with his recent appearance in The Syndicate.
In 2016, it was revealed that Lenny Henry joined the cast of Broadchurch for its third season as Ed Burnett, Trish’s manager who is part of the main storyline after she is sexually assaulted.
The talented actor also took on the role of the Narrator in the one-off BBC One Christmas special Zog.
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Did Lenny Henry set up Comic Relief?
Lenny is best known for co-founding Comic Relief, but that’s not all the charity he is involved in.
He also does work for the world-famous Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The star has been working as a presenter on Comic relief since 2003.
In 2015, Henry received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours, he said: “This is not just for me, this is for everyone who has done something for Comic Relief.
“Every person who has helped us raise £1 billion and for everyone who works at Comic relief, this is for you.”
And, as one of the charity extravaganza’s founders, it is only fitting that he was one of the hosts of Comic Relief 2017.
What has he said about his weight loss?
In June 2018, Lenny revealed the secret to his three stone weight loss after he was pictured looking noticeably slimmer.
He told The Mirror: “Well, it’s eating broccoli and not much else. I’ve also been running a lot. It has worked.”
Lenny had first begun to shed weight back in 2014 when he revealed he was a “little bit diabetic”.
