Lenny Henry paid tribute to by Hollywood stars as he marks 50 years in TV

19 October 2023 , 23:01

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Lenny Henry paid tribute to by Hollywood stars as he marks 50 years in TV

Celebrities from around the world have paid tribute to Sir Lenny Henry to mark his 50th anniversary in TV.

Stars including Hollywood actress Whoopi Goldberg, Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon along with former Doctor Who actor David Tennant have spoken of the legendary star and how he has impacted them and society as a whole. The 65 year old comedian turned actor first shot to fame in 1975 after winning New Faces talent competition and has since gone on to reach huge success - he can now even count a number of TV dramas and documentaries to be proud of.

Sir Lenny Henry marks 50 years in TV (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Pri)

Whoopi Goldberg describes Sir Lenny Henry as a superhero (Getty Images)

And so, to mark his 50th anniversary ITV have created a special recognition show called Lenny Henry: One Of A Kind. Sister Act star Whoopi Goldberg has described Sir Lenny as a superhero. She said: "If you want to see what a superhero actually looks like, look at Sir Lenny Henry." And she went on to say: "You can’t stop people like Lenny Henry. You’ve got to watch out for people who are incentivised to make better things happen in the world because once they start, they just can’t stop. Lenny’s trying to make sure that everybody feels there’s a place for them at this table. All I can do is tip my dreads to him. So yay, Lenny."

BGT judge Alesha Dixon praises Sir Lenny Henry partly thanks him for her success (Dave Benett/Getty Images for YouTube Legacy)

Broadchurch star David Tennant recalls fond memories of Sir Lenny Henry (Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)

But Whoopi doesn't stand alone when it comes to praising the legendary star. Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon reveals that she partly owes her success as a singer and TV personality to him. She said: "When I think of Lenny, I actually smile. He’s one of a kind. All hail Lenny Henry. From my earliest memories as a child, Lenny Henry was just there. He was like part of the furniture. He was part of the family. Lenny is Mr Comic Relief. He’s the co-founder, alongside Richard Curtis, and the nation is so thankful to both of them for what they started.The ripple effect of Lenny Henry will go on and on."

She added: "And it doesn’t go unnoticed by millions and millions of people.I think Lenny is about building a legacy. He recognises his success, at the same time recognising the work that needs to be done. When I think about growing up and seeing Lenny on TV, I could get quite emotional about it because there just wasn’t anybody else there. He was everything. He is everything. Lenny, I’m so thankful because you showed me and so many other people that it’s possible."

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Doctor Who star David Tennant wasn't far behind with giving his opinion on the iconic star, as he starred with him in TV crime drama Broadchurch. He added: "I can’t imagine anyone saying ‘I don’t like Lenny Henry’. That doesn’t seem possible. He’s such a part of our culture in this country. When I was growing up, you were either a Swap Shop kid or a Tiswas kid. And I was very much Team Tiswas. I even used to get the Tiswas magazine, that’s how much of a fan I was. There was something so extraordinary about that show. It was so fresh and anarchic. It felt a bit naughty. Lenny has this amazing singing voice. As soon as he opened his mouth on The Masked Singer, you knew it was Lenny."

He continued: "Lenny was such a fantastic addition to Broadchurch, both in terms of the way he embodied that character and everything he brought to it, but also just to have him around was a treat. It’s a relatively late-starting career as a dramatic actor but he’s caught up pretty quickly."

Lenny Henry: One Of A Kind airs Thursday 26th October at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX

Lucretia Munro