Sir Lenny Henry took his final bow as Comic Relief host at dock10 in Salford over the weekend after fronting the annual fundraiser for the past 39 years.
As one of his last hosting duties, the presenter, 65, donned a blonde wig and fur coat for a Barbie-inspired rendition of “I’m Just Ken” from the hit 2023 film.
In the remix called “I’m Just Len”, Henry sang about his decades hosting the annual programme, with the lyrics: “What will it take for me to leave these shows, retire this nose… face destiny?”
Later in the programme, he said it had been an “honour and a joy” to be the face of Comic Relief.
He said: “It is not about me – it is about the mirth and the money, the comedy and compassion.”
Henry co-founded the charity behind the annual comedy broadcast with writer and filmmaker Richard Curtis in 1985.
During an evening full of tributes to the actor, co-host David Tennant thanked him for “an amazing tour of duty”, while Davina McCall said her fellow presenter would be “one hundred per cent totally and utterly irreplaceable.”
Speaking about the reason for his departure on the One Show ahead of the event, the host said the programme needs “new blood.”
“This is a good time to part ways and to allow a new generation to take the baton and move the whole thing on a bit,” he added.
This year’s cast of hosts also included Love Island presenter Maya Jama and comedians Paddy McGuinness and Romesh Ranganathan.
Since launching in 1988, Comic Relief has raised more than £1.5bn from donations – money which has reached more than one hundred million people. Sir Lenny was left “speechless” during Friday’s show when dozens of people in the audience revealed themselves to be beneficiaries of Comic Relief projects over the years.
