Lenny Henry to look back on entertainment career in ITV special
- Lenny Henry: One Of A Kind - coming to ITV1 this autumn - will see the comedian looking back on his entertainment career
- The special is described as "a funny, fascinating, and ultimately inspiring portrait of a true national treasure"
- Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Mo Gilligan and Whoopi Goldberg are amongst those interviewed
ITV1 special Lenny Henry: One Of A Kind will see the comedian looking back on his time in the entertainment spotlight.
ITV explains: "In a candid retrospective of his nearly 50-year-career, trailblazer Sir Lenny Henry takes viewers on a journey from the Midlands to Middle Earth as he looks back on his time in the entertainment spotlight.
"When it comes to the money he's raised for charity, the figure is in the millions - when we're talking about the joy he's brought to our lives, he's rightly considered priceless. Now, A-listers line up to pay fond tributes and share their own thoughts on what makes the multi-talented comedian, actor, writer, campaigner and prolific charity fundraiser truly one of a kind.
"In this brand-new documentary - and ahead of his self-penned historical drama Three Little Birds - Lenny tells all about the little-known collaboration between himself, Kate Bush and Prince. He shares backstage secrets, offers insights into his life away from the camera, and reveals which of his beloved comedy characters he feels wouldn't be allowed on-screen in 2023.
"His sister Sharon discloses Lenny's secret nickname among the family and how her 'nerdy' sibling with his passion for fantasy comic books ended up living his dream - we also hear about Sir Lenny's fight for diversity in the TV industry both in front of and behind the camera.
"David Tennant, Ben Elton, Alesha Dixon, Richard Curtis, Sir Trevor McDonald and Mo Gilligan are among those celebrating Lenny's many talents and his unique place in British showbiz history - Hollywood superstar Whoopi Goldberg also champions the man she declares 'a real-life superhero'.
"Clips from across the decades include highlights from Tiswas, Three Of A Kind and The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power -there's also a sneak peek look behind the scenes of Lenny's eagerly anticipated ITV1 drama Three Little Birds, which is inspired by his mother's stories of leaving Jamaica in the 1950s to embark on a new life in the UK.
"From custard pies to Comic Relief and from Broadchurch to the Bard, this is a funny, fascinating, and ultimately inspiring portrait of a true national treasure."
Lenny Henry: One Of A Kind is due to be broadcast on ITV1 this autumn.
It's not the only documentary that Henry is set to front this year. As previously reported, he has interviewed Paul Whitehouse, Alexei Sayle, Sally Phillips and Romesh Ranganathan for Legends Of Comedy (pictured), a forthcoming interview series for Channel 4.