³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Alison Hammond spends a big weekend with comedian, actor and campaigner Sir Lenny Henry, uncovering the man behind the accolades.

Their adventure kicks off in west London, where Sir Lenny introduces Alison to one of his favourite Caribbean restaurants. Over a comforting bowl of Saturday Soup, they discuss his knighthood, what it was like meeting the queen and what his 39 years of charitable work at the helm of Comic Relief meant to him. Lenny fondly recalls how the restaurant’s food reminds him of his late mother’s cooking – something he dearly misses. He also reveals that he and his ex-wife Dawn French used to cook Caribbean food together.

Sir Lenny shares another one of his passions by taking Alison to his favourite London bookshop. In this intimate setting, Alison confesses that she feels uncomfortable as she struggles with reading, a deeply personal admission. Lenny reassures her and shares stories about playing Othello and his love for storytelling. When it’s time to leave, Alison picks up the tab – much to Sir Lenny’s delight.

To delve deeper into Lenny’s life, Alison and Sir Lenny head to the Midlands, to his hometown of Dudley. Standing outside his childhood home, Lenny regales her with tales of his formidable mother, who according to Lenny could throw a man through a brick wall, and his father’s prolific vegetable gardening. In a humorous twist, Lenny reveals how he used to sneak into his neighbour’s basement through a manhole, a story punctuated by a surprise greeting from the very same neighbour. He also shares memories of his mother demanding doorstep impressions before he was allowed in for dinner.

The duo head to Lenny’s childhood park, where Alison asks about a pivotal moment in his life – learning that his biological father was someone other than the man who raised him. Lenny reflects on the revelation, and Alison shares her own experience of being the result of an affair, the pair bonding over their complex family histories.

A visit to Dudley Market brings a surprise when Alison reveals, since Sir Lenny has the freedom of the borough, that he’s entitled to walk sheep through the market square. With sheep in tow, they make the quirky tradition a reality.

The weekend concludes at the Lamp Tavern, one of Lenny’s old haunts. Here, he recounts having his first rum punch when he was just eight years old and makes a mean rum punch for them both. Knowing that Lenny can sing, Alison encourages Sir Lenny to pick up the mic and treat the audience to one of his favourite blues songs.