Sir Lenworth George Henry, CBE (born 29 August 1958) is a British stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television presenter, and comedian, best known for co-founding charity Comic Relief and presenting various television programmes, including The Magicians for BBC One.

Biography

Henry met Dawn French on the alternative comedy circuit. They married in 1984 in Westminster, London; and have a daughter, Billie (born 1991), whom they adopted. He graduated in English Literature, (BA Hons), with the Open University in 2007. He studied for an MA at Royal Holloway, University of London in screenwriting for television and film, where he received a distinction and where he is now studying for a PhD on the role of black people in the media.

On 6 April 2010, French and Henry announced they were separating after 25 years of marriage. It was reported that the separation was amicable. They had decided to separate in October the previous year but left it until then as they were still in discussion over the separation. Their divorce was finalised in 2010.

Henry has been an outspoken critic of British television's lack of ethnic diversity in its programming. During a speech at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in March 2014, he called the lack of minorities "appalling," and he has continued to raise the issue publicly since. His guest editing of BBC Radio 4's Today programme received mixed reviews with some claiming "discrimination" as Henry disallowed white people from taking part.

It was reported in June 2015 that Henry was to receive a knighthood. In the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours, it was announced that he had been made a Knight Bachelor 'for services to drama and charity' and therefore granted the title 'sir'.