Yahoo News BBC Children in Need star Lenny Rush's life from family to spending first four months of life in hospital
Lenny Rush has quickly become a household name in Britain. The talented teen scooped a TV Bafta for best male comedy performance for his role as Ollie in Daisy May Cooper's acclaimed series Am I Being Unreasonable?
Not to mention, he's already bagged two Royal Television Society Programme awards. Lenny kicked off his TV career on CBeebies with roles in 'Apple Tree House' and 'The Dumping Ground'. He then went on to make history as the first child presenter for Children in Need last year, and returns to hosting duties tonight.
He's also appeared in Doctor Who, playing Morris Gibbons, a scientific advisor for UNIT. But beyond his impressive career, what else is there to know about Lenny?
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Below we take a look at his life behind the cameras, from his health to his family.
Lenny Rush's health condition
Lenny was born with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC), a form of dwarfism. Lenny spent the first four months of his life in hospital.
His medical journey has included leg surgeries, a procedure to repair a cleft palate, and most recently, spinal surgery. Discussing his care under a doctor at Great Ormond Street Hospital, he expressed how the physician "changed my life."
He explained that his condition can impact various aspects of health, such as vision, mobility, endurance, coordination, and hearing humorously remarking to The Guardian: "I'm like an old man."
Speaking about his role in Am I Being Unreasonable? he commended the series for its approach to his disability, characterising it as "refreshing". He continued: "Even if people do know I have a disability, that's fine. My mum always says, 'Because you've got your disability and you're different, people remember you'."
Talking to the BBC about being seen as a role model, Lenny stated: "It's an honour. For someone to see another person with the same thing as them on the telly - I think it gives them hope that it will be all right, you know."
Lenny draws considerable encouragement from Warwick Davis, who has the same condition. Recalling their connection, which deepened when Lenny worked with Davis's daughter Annabelle in The Dumping Ground, he said affectionately: "Warwick's lovely. He does a convention for people with dwarfism called Little People UK. We all go there and we have a disco in the night, it's great."
In a candid interview with the Guardian about diversity on screen, he stated: "Dwarfism covers a large scale and he [Warwick] has got the exact same type as me. There weren't too many people out there. There is Warwick, and I remember Verne Troyer, and there's Peter Dinklage, but they are the only actors I know, which is a shame. There should be more."
Lenny Rush family
The backstory of Lenny Rush's path to fame made headlines when it was discovered that his ascent began with a documentary feature. Making his mark at seven years old, Lenny first appeared on television in the CBeebies documentary 'Our Family', following his mother Lisa's initiative to involve them in the programme highlighting diverse family dynamics.
Taking to Instagram recently for a Q&A session, Lenny reminisced: "So mum signed us up for a CBeebies documentary called Our Family, which was on the telly years ago now, I think I was seven and I'm 15 now. I just really enjoyed being in front of the camera and then I went to acting classes on a Saturday and it just went from there."
Lenny lives an ordinary life with his supportive family in Essex. His father Steve owns a kitchen design business, and his mother Lisa, a former dental nurse, paused her career to provide care for Lenny and his younger sibling Bobby.
Lenny's parents are adamant that he should lead a "normal" life despite his burgeoning acting career, with his mum Lisa stressing to The Guardian the importance of balance: "It's a fine balance, because Lenny would do this full-time if he could he absolutely loves it and he's living the dream at the moment but he is young, and he needs to have that time where he keeps his feet on the ground."
In addition to his acting gigs, Lenny also juggles school work. He shared how it can get pretty hectic: "It's a weird one because one week I'm on set filming and having to do school work on top and then the next I'm back in school with 30 other kids. I think it is tricky on set sometimes because obviously I have to have a set amount of hours of tutoring."
He further explained the need for good preparation to manage the workload: "It can be a long one but it's just being prepared, having everything with you. Then when I go back to school I'm kept up to date and I know what I'm doing."
