Lenny Henry at 60: his hilarious life in pictures - Lenny Henry is an all-star as a stand-up, and his charity work with Comic Relief is unprecedented. As he turns 60, take a look back at Lenny Henry's life, from his little-known lows to hilarious highs.

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Career beginnings - Henry got his start with manager Robert Luff (second from left). The comedian’s first gig was on ‘The Black and White Minstrel Show’, a controversial production which Henry later regretted working on.

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Natural wonder - Lenny’s first TV spot was on talent show ‘New Faces’, in 1975. Henry won the competition, with an impersonation of Stevie Wonder.

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'The Fosters' - The next year, Henry joined ‘The Fosters’, the UK’s first sitcom with a mainly-black cast.

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Working man -

Henry built on his name with shows at working men’s clubs, where he did hilarious impersonations of famous characters.

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TV spots - He also built his name by appearing on ‘Seaside Special’, as well as ‘The Ronnie Corbett Show’.

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A turning point - In 1980, Henry performed with comedy duo Cannon and Ball in Blackpool. In his words, this was “the first time I felt that my act had received a proper response from an audience”.

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The start of something special - The same year, he joined comedy group The Comic Strip. There, he met future wife Dawn French.

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In come the characters... - In the alternative comedy scene, Henry introduced characters like Theophilus P. Wildebeeste (a parody of Teddy Pendergrass), as well as Trevor MacDoughnut (a parody of Trevor McDonald).

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Wedding day - Henry and French tied the knot in 1984, with a ceremony in Covent Garden, London.

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'The Lenny Henry Show' - The same year, ‘The Lenny Henry Show’ debuted on the BBC. Henry introduced his comedic characters to a whole new audience.

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Impressions - His show ran for 19 years, and featured Henry doing impressions of Prince, Tina Turner and Michael Jackson.

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Comic Relief - In 1986, Henry took part in the very first ‘Comic Relief Utterly Utterly Live’ in London. Rowan Atkinson, Cliff Richard and Kate Bush also took part in the show.

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Red Wedge - In 1987, Henry sided with Red Wedge. Featuring comedians and musicians, it was a political group which campaigned against Margaret Thatcher.

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Counting millions - The next year, Henry ventured to Ethiopia for the first Red Nose Day Telethon. £15 million was raised, with 30 million viewers tuning in.

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'True Identity' - Henry headed to Hollywood in 1991, starring in comedy film ‘True Identity’.

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'Chef!' - The comedian returned to the UK, where he found more fame as Gareth Blackstock in comedy series, ‘Chef!’.

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A man with honour - Henry was appointed a CBE at the 1999 New Year Honours.

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All-star collaboration - Henry has also dabbled in music. He has collaborated with Kate Bush and Prince, singing on Bush’s 1993 album, ‘The Red Shoes’

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Critically-acclaimed - He is one of the UK’s most revered comedians. The Observer listed him as one of the funniest acts in British comedy, while The Sunday Times listed him as the 15th funniest black performer ever.

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Ahead of the game - In 2004, Henry starred in ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’, playing the hilarious "shrunken head".

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Graduation - In 2007, Henry attended the Open University, eventually graduating with an English Literature degree.

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Singing with Duffy - Henry has also appeared on Jools Holland's ‘Hootenanny’, performing with Welsh singer Duffy.

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Causing controversy -

The comedian has worked with Premier Inn. One advert caused a lot of controversy, when he parodied horror film ‘The Shining’, smashing open a hotel door with an axe.

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'Othello' on stage - Henry also has a strong reputation onstage. He has starred as the title role in ‘Othello’, garnering plenty of praise for his performance. “This is one of the most astonishing debuts in Shakespeare I have ever seen”, said the Daily Telegraph.

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The end of something special - In 2010, Henry and French announced their split after 25 years of marriage.

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'Famous, Rich and in the Slums' - Henry joined Reggie Yates for ‘Famous, Rich and in the Slums’ for Comic Relief. The comedian was sent to Kenya’s largest slum, Kibera, to report on the harsh conditions and quality of life.

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‘Lenny Henry’s Got the Blues’ - The comedian continued his music career with ‘Lenny Henry’s Got the Blues’. The show saw Henry team up with revered musicians to record an album.

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Becoming a knight - Henry attended the Queen's 2015 Birthday Honours, where he was knighted for his services to drama and charity.

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Chancellor - He took his career to new heights in 2016. Henry was made the chancellor of Birmingham City University.

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Special Award for a special man - In 2016, Henry was given the BAFTA Television: Special Award.

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