Lenny Henry
Also known as Sir Lenny Henry
Who Lenny Henry is
Lenny Henry is an English comedian, actor and writer who grew up in Dudley and began his television career as a teenager by winning the talent show New Faces twice. He toured stand-up shows including Stand Up, Get Down, Cradle to Grave and Rock the House across the UK, Australia and New Zealand, starred in Three of a Kind and several runs of The Lenny Henry Show, created the sitcom Chef!, and hosted Live at the Apollo in 2009 and 2011.
Part of the team that founded Comic Relief in 1985, he has appeared on nearly every Red Nose Day since 1988; on stage he won the Evening Standard's award for Outstanding Newcomer as Othello, and he has written the memoirs Who Am I, Again? and Rising to the Surface. He has been knighted, received a BAFTA Special Award in 2016 and has since earned a PhD in screenwriting.
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At a glance
- Born
- 1958
- From
- Dudley
- Podcasts and radio
- The Sunday Hoot
- Books
- Who Am I, Again?, Rising to the Surface and The Book of Legends
- On screen
- Three of a Kind, The Lenny Henry Show, Chef! and 5 more
- Official site
- lennyhenry.net ↗
Is Lenny Henry on tour?
No upcoming dates on record No upcoming dates are on record right now. That doesn't mean they have stopped touring; their own site is the place to look for new dates: lennyhenry.net ↗.
Last checked 11 October 2026.
Are they coming to my town?
No dates are on record right now (checked 11 October 2026), so no town is confirmed yet. Follow them and your town to hear when one is booked.
Want them in your town?
Name your town and how many of you would come: the towns fans ask for show here, with how many asked.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- Three of a Kind 1981–1983
- The Lenny Henry Show BBC One, 1984–1988, 2004–2005
- Chef! creator, 1993–1996
- Live at the Apollo host, BBC, 2009 and 2011
- Tiswas
- Lenny Henry in Pieces
- The Syndicate BBC One
- The Long Song
Podcasts and radio
- The Sunday Hoot BBC Radio 1, 1982–1985
Books and writing
- Who Am I, Again? memoir
- Rising to the Surface memoir, 2022
- The Book of Legends children's book, 2022
Comedians like Lenny Henry
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Gina Yashere also in The Lenny Henry Show
- Frank Carson also in Tiswas
- Russell Peters also in Chef!
Career timeline
- 1958Born
- 1981Three of a Kind (1981–1983) On screen
- 1982The Sunday Hoot (BBC Radio 1, 1982–1985) Podcast or book
- 1984The Lenny Henry Show (BBC One, 1984–1988, 2004–2005) On screen
- 1993Chef! (creator, 1993–1996) On screen
- 2009Live at the Apollo (host, BBC, 2009 and 2011) On screen
- 2022Rising to the Surface (memoir, 2022) Book
- 2022The Book of Legends (children's book, 2022) Podcast or book
Questions and answers
Where is Lenny Henry performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: lennyhenry.net ↗.
What podcasts and radio shows have they been on?
The Sunday Hoot.
Have they written a book?
Yes: Who Am I, Again?, Rising to the Surface and The Book of Legends.
What TV shows and films are they in?
Three of a Kind (1981–1983), The Lenny Henry Show (BBC One, 1984–1988, 2004–2005), Chef! (creator, 1993–1996), Live at the Apollo (host, BBC, 2009 and 2011), Tiswas and Lenny Henry in Pieces, among 8 credits.
Where are they from?
They grew up in Dudley.
What is their official website?
How old are they?
They were born in 1958, so they turn 68 in 2026.
Who are some comedians like them?
Gina Yashere (also in The Lenny Henry Show), Frank Carson (also in Tiswas) and Russell Peters (also in Chef!).
Are you Lenny Henry?
This page can be your website, free. Send your bio in your own words, your links, your clips, who books you, a line said about you and your weekly show, and they go on this page beside the dates D.O.C. already keeps. Fans follow you here and get your news in the D.O.C. letter.
Your short address, for your bio: disciplesofcomedy.com/lenny-henry
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Official site (Biography) ↗ Grew up in Dudley; won New Faces twice; the stand-up tours Stand Up, Get Down, Cradle to Grave and Rock the House in the UK, Australia and New Zealand; Three…
- Official site ↗ The memoirs Who Am I, Again? and Rising to the Surface (September 2022); The Book of Legends (October 2022); the live show Still At Large, part stand-up,…
- British Comedy Guide ↗ An actor, writer and stand-up comedian, born 29 August 1958; Live at the Apollo host in 2009 and 2011; Three of a Kind (1981–1983); The Lenny Henry Show;…
Updated 11 October 2026 · the record checked 11 October 2026