Thirty-nine years since he helped to discovered Comedian Reduction in response to famine in Ethiopia, and 36 years since he started internet hosting the charity’s telethons on BBC One, Lenny Henry is hanging up his pink go well with and packing away his pink nostril.
This yr’s Comedian Reduction: Humorous for Cash would be the final Purple Nostril Day marathon with Henry as host. He says his farewell gig because the host of the 2024 present will likely be “most likely the perfect evening of my life” – though he’ll stay because the life president of Comedian Reduction and can proceed to work with the charity behind the scenes. He received’t simply get replaced: few comics have embraced the daunting unpredictability of dwell TV, whereas bridging the hole between humorous and lethal severe, with the ability and allure of the 65-year-old comedian. Listed below are his finest bits from practically 4 a long time of freestyle fundraising.
Lenny woos Frank Bruno (1986)
Proof of simply how lengthy Henry has been synonymous with Comedian Reduction – he has been at it because the period when his impersonation of lovable British boxing hero Frank Bruno was an enormous a part of his TV act. On the Shaftesbury theatre in London, throughout a efficiency that predated the primary televised Comedian Reduction fundraiser two years later, Henry, as Bruno, performs the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet, with the actual Bruno tottering out to play Juliet. Each of them milk each drop of pantomime silliness out of the skit.
Lenny does Luther (2016)
John Luther (Idris Elba) leaves a criminal offense scene to fulfil a household obligation, choosing up a grocery store rooster on his technique to his mum’s home, just for his myriad siblings – performed by Henry and British sports activities stars, this being a skit for Comedian Reduction’s now defunct spin-off, Sport Reduction – to accuse him of homicide. The athletes acquit themselves very nicely – Ian Wright and notably Denise Lewis ought to think about doing extra appearing – however the huge payoff is the sight of Henry in an actual reproduction of Elba’s costume, catchphrases and gestures.
Lenny snogs Elle Macpherson (1999)
“She did tongues! She did tongues!” The sequel to maybe the best-known Purple Nostril Day second of all – Daybreak French snogging Hugh Grant, in 1995 – options Henry being pounced on by supermodel Elle Macpherson, to the theatrical chagrin of French, Henry’s then spouse. The sensation that no person is aware of precisely what’s going to occur right here is Comedian Reduction’s dwell telethons at their mildly chaotic finest. Speaking of which, kudos to Cilla Black, the third particular person on the presenting couch, who shows faultless comedian timing by out of the blue mounting Henry to shut the section out.
Lenny goes groin-to-groin with Tom Jones (1991)
Theophilus P Wildebeeste – the inadequate-Lothario soul singer performed by Henry again when The Lenny Henry Present was one of many nation’s favorite sketch exhibits – dons leather-based, sequins and a big glowing pink nostril over his crotch, subsequent to an identically attired Tom Jones, who was on the peak of his “ankle-deep in viewers members’ knickers” section on the time. Jones commits absolutely to the bit and is simply too attractive for Theophilus, who tries to match Jones grunt for grunt and finally ends up slipping a disc. Nearly as humorous as Theophilus panicking on the finish are Henry’s character-breaking glances at somebody off-camera all through.
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Lenny dwell from Uganda (2015)
Not too long ago, Comedian Reduction has scaled again on what some viewers scornfully described as its “saviour” movies, the place a rich movie star descends on an African village, cries on the poverty they see, after which waves a magic wand to enhance just a few lives. However no person was higher at promoting the concept of the general public’s donations making an actual distinction than Henry – as seen when he goes dwell on BBC Breakfast to tour a glowing new medical facility, constructed with Comedian Reduction cash, in Iyolwa, Uganda. It’s not possible to not be moved by Henry’s seen pleasure and delight at what his organisation has achieved, in distinction to the determined circumstances the native folks have been beforehand enduring.
Lenny regenerates into David Tennant (2023)
Subsequent yr’s Comedian Reduction present would be the first one with out Henry since 2009, when he was busy showing on stage in Othello on the West Yorkshire Playhouse. His substitute, internet hosting the opening 100 minutes alongside Davina McCall, was David Tennant, and the previous Physician Who star has commonly helped Comedian Reduction out since then. Tennant is amongst these tipped to fill the Henry-shaped gap completely. Which may appear to be an odd transfer, however the actor is branching out, having simply been introduced because the host of ITV’s Traitors-esque actuality gameshow Genius Sport. This Comedian Reduction clip from final yr, with Henry morphing into Tennant, Physician Who-style, is an enormous trace.
