He's been a familiar face on our TV screens for decades but Sir Lenny Henry is about to host Comic Relief for the last time.
The comedy legend has fronted the BBC's Red Nose Day show for almost 40 years but is stepping down after Friday night. Sir Lenny, 65, co-founded the charity in 1985 alongside Richard Curtis, the writer-director best known for Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually.
Since then, more than £1.5 billion has been raised for Comic Relief, which supports thousands of charities in the UK and around the world. READ MORE: The two Greater Manchester towns named in The Sunday Times' Best Places to Live in 2024 But Sir Lenny has decided that now is the time to see some new names take over as presenters and he will continue to support Comic Relief and Red Nose Day on other projects throughout the year.
Born in Dudley in 1958, Lenny was one of seven children. He was raised by his mother Winifred Henry and her husband Winston, who had emigrated to Britain from Jamaica.
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