Yahoo News Comic Relief pays tribute to Sir Lenny Henry on his final show
The BBC has paid tribute to Sir Lenny Henry as he hosted his final ever Comic Relief annual Red Nose Day fundraiser.
Tonight's (March 15) three-hour telethon saw Henry's co-presenters Romesh Ranganathan, Maya Jama, David Tennant, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rosie Ramsey and Paddy McGuinness praise the "extraordinary legacy" of Henry throughout the show.
Following a performance of 'It's All About You' by McFly, it was revealed that the actor and comedian had raised over £1.5 billion since his debut show in 1988.
"Tonight really is about Lenny," McCall said as Tennant called Henry's tenure leading Comic Relief an "amazing tour of duty."
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"It's been an honour and a joy," Henry replied. "It's not all about me, it's about comedy and compassion."
Comic Relief was founded back in 1985 by Henry and Love Actually's Richard Curtis in response to the famine in Ethiopia with the goal of making the public laugh while raising money.
Later on in the programme, McCall and Tennant invited several individuals that Henry had helped over the years back into the studio to thank the actor for all of his work raising money for charity in a surprise segment.
"Please can you stand up or raise your hand if you're here because you have been part of one of our wonderful projects. If Lenny and Comic Relief have helped you change your life," McCall said as several members of the audience stood up in applause.
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"We could've filled a thousand studios with people you and Comic Relief have helped," McCall continued, before playing a video message from Aberash, a woman from Ethiopia who Henry had helped.
"I'm speechless, it's so lovely to see everybody," a tearful Henry replied, overcome with emotion after seeing the video. "What an extraordinary evening this is... Thank you so much."
The show also revealed that a grand total of £37,019,832 had been raised for Henry's final show, an increase on 2023's total of £31,952,141.
Comic Relief airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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