Lenny Henry

The stage of the O2 in Greenwich is the new home for the Comic Relief charity fundraising extravaganza. Here the hosts include Lenny Henry, Jonathan Ross and Sally Phillips, while those doing a turn include Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and Ed Sheeran. We can also look forward to James Corden's Car Pool Karaoke with Take That, Greg Davies over on BBC2 and the cast of Love Actually in Red Nose Day Actually. Dig deep.

With a showbiz career spanning some five decades, there is a lot of life to be celebrated in this retrospective of Dudley's most famous son. Despite some early misfires - notably accepting a Black and White Minstrel Show guest slot as a teen - his career would later take off, eventually leading to a knighthood for his acting and charity work. Although his shows are rarely repeated, this overview proves how timeless a lot of Len's output remains.

Preview - Lenny Henry: A Life on Screen

Sir Lenny Henry has been part of British TV since the 1970s when he won talent show New Faces in 1975 at the age of 16. Since then he's done sitcoms, sketch shows, stand-up, the stage, children's TV and charity work.

A quick word with... Sir Lenny Henry.

We recently caught up with the show business legend and asked him what's the golden rule of comedy, all about the process of writing his semi-autobiographical drama (Danny and the Human Zoo), thoughts about its sequel and which of his many on-screen characters he'd prefer to go out for a drink with. Plus, what would his ten-year-old self say if he'd been told about what lay ahead...

Lenny Henry: Scheduled TV could feel quaint in 10 years

We asked industry insiders for their opinions on TV's future, and now we're showcasing our favourite responses.

Lenny Henry made Birmingham City University chancellor

Comedian and actor Sir Lenny Henry has been appointed chancellor of Birmingham City University.

Dawn French on life after Lenny Henry

"Optimism and ­cheerfulness are a massive gift that many people don't have. I remarried and I married a very cheerful man, and I've come to realise just how ­important cheerfulness is - it's a wonderful thing."