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  • 2 days ago
Alison Hammond's Big Weekend episode 5 - Sir Lenny Henry

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Fun
Transcript
00:00You all right, babe?
00:02I'm Alison Hammond.
00:03Are you all right?
00:04I'm spending a weekend with some of the UK's biggest stars.
00:08Thanks.
00:09I'm on a mission to get all the gossip.
00:12Go and get a Brexit.
00:13Could you or much?
00:14You have got the waste carbon.
00:16I've started domestic.
00:18On your favourite celebrities.
00:20I've just got Alan Carr with me.
00:22Alan Carr? Unbelievable.
00:24There'd be no holding back.
00:26Was you quite an awkward kid?
00:28Yes, I don't think I was very comfortable in my own skin.
00:30As I get up close.
00:32I was living a life behind closed doors.
00:34That's completely different.
00:36And very personal.
00:38It was really hard.
00:42This is going to be very fun.
00:44Absolutely buzzing.
00:48This weekend, I'm hanging out with a comedy genius
00:50who's risen from humble beginnings
00:53to be knighted by our late queen.
00:56And boy, does he have a story to tell.
00:59Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Lenny Henry.
01:04Hang on a minute, that's me.
01:06I've watched Lenny from when I was really, really tiny,
01:10when we only had one television in my house.
01:12He's done so much for people of colour.
01:15He's such a role model for me.
01:18He's a pioneer and a trailblazer.
01:20And I am nervous, but excited at the same time.
01:24I can't wait to meet him.
01:26For 50 years, Lenny's made people laugh.
01:29He's going to need a bigger man than that
01:31to satisfy your needs, Mrs. Jones.
01:33But he's equally remembered as the driving force
01:36behind Comet Relief.
01:38For almost 40 years, raising over a billion for charity.
01:42Thank you, Sir Lenny Henry!
01:45I want to know what's driven the boy from Dudley
01:48to become the much-loved British icon he is today.
01:51Where did he get his comedy from?
01:53What's his family roots like?
01:55Who is Sir Lenny Henry?
01:57They say never meet your heroes,
01:59but there is no way I'm missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.
02:03Lenny Henry, Sir!
02:05Lenny Henry!
02:06How are you?
02:07Are you doing?
02:08I'm really well, aren't you?
02:09Oh, it's so good to see you.
02:10It's nice to see you.
02:11Where are we?
02:12We're in Shepherd's Bush.
02:13This is Ochi.
02:14He's starting off with food.
02:16Shall I show you in?
02:17This is my kind of man.
02:19My kind of man.
02:20Hello, everybody.
02:21Hello!
02:22Hello!
02:23I brought Alison Hammond with me.
02:25Very nice.
02:26Proper food is like...
02:28Oh, right!
02:29Proper food is like...
02:30Oh, that's lovely.
02:31What do you normally have?
02:33I normally have the mutton soup with red peas.
02:36Oh, I'll have that then.
02:37Have you got it?
02:38Two small bowls of that, please.
02:40I'll have a large.
02:44Can I just say, all these famous people, they've been in this shop?
02:47Have they all eaten here?
02:48Most of them have eaten in here.
02:50Hang on a second.
02:51Has Ian Brown been here from Star Roses?
02:52And Rihanna.
02:53Look at Rihanna up there.
02:54Rihanna.
02:55When she's coming in, when she's going, you better work, work, work, work.
02:58I saw me happy.
02:59Work, work, work.
03:00Don't you like that in here?
03:01This is amazing.
03:02Can we sit down?
03:03Yes.
03:05Oh, my.
03:06Thank you so much.
03:07Thank you, darling.
03:08Do you know what?
03:09It reminds me, literally, of my mum's food.
03:11I know, yeah.
03:12I miss my mum.
03:13My mum used to cook this every Saturday.
03:14Oh, I can't wait to try it.
03:15Was your mum a good cook?
03:16Oh, she was incredible.
03:17And you know, when she was dying, she said, let's learn how to cook out, because you don't
03:21know all the dishes.
03:22So she learnt me how to do my Christmas cake.
03:24I do it every year.
03:25So I send a Christmas cake to all my family.
03:27I'll do one for you this year.
03:28I'd love one.
03:29I left home when I was 16 to be in television and show business.
03:33Yeah.
03:34And so the gap when I would have learnt my mum's recipes, I was on the road doing shows.
03:39So I never got to learn how to cook.
03:41So everything I...
03:43All the Jamaican dishes I can cook come from the Rusty Lee cookbook.
03:46No, but Rusty Lee's really...
03:48She's brilliant.
03:49She's a brilliant cook.
03:50Tell me something.
03:51When you was with Dawn French, did she cook Caribbean food?
03:54Do you mean Dawn French off the television?
03:55Off the television, yeah.
03:56Dawn could cook food.
03:57Could she do the Caribbean?
03:58We did things...
03:59Did it together?
04:00Together.
04:01I would mostly do it, but Dawn could do it.
04:02Get the cookbook.
04:03Yeah, yeah.
04:04Get Rusty out.
04:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:06This is good, you know, you two.
04:07This is delicious.
04:08God, maybe we should have had the small.
04:10I told you!
04:11We could have split this between us.
04:13I know, we really could have...
04:14You see you all?
04:15Yeah, my eye's bigger than my belly buff.
04:17You see you all?
04:18Sure.
04:19Babes, let's talk about comic relief because you've been doing that for 39 years.
04:24Probably the thing I'm proudest of.
04:26Because comedy can be used for all sorts of things.
04:29It can be your sword and your shield.
04:31And in terms of this, we wanted to be a shield for people who couldn't do it for themselves.
04:36That's amazing.
04:37You got knighted.
04:38Oh my God.
04:39Or the Queen.
04:40What was that like?
04:41It's really, really good.
04:42Everybody said your mum would have loved it.
04:44My mum would have loved it.
04:45So the thing is, what I imagined was my mum being at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle,
04:50with one of them big church hats on.
04:53Because when I did the Royal Variety Show, my mum actually went and she sat on the same balcony as the Queen.
04:58Did she?
04:59Yeah, the Queen was there.
05:00My mum was there.
05:01She said, yeah, all right.
05:02Elizabeth.
05:03You want some of the chewy taffy?
05:05Have the chewy taffy for you.
05:07Elizabeth.
05:08Tell the Duke of Edinburgh to cheer up.
05:11My son's coming on in a minute.
05:12He's really funny.
05:13He's as good as Tavok.
05:15Mum was chatting to the Queen.
05:17Tell me what it was like meeting the Queen.
05:18What was she lying?
05:19Well, first of all, she knighted me.
05:21So, imagine this.
05:22An old age pensioner's running towards you with a sword.
05:26Are you on your knee at this point?
05:28You would have got on her knee.
05:29She's waving her sword at you.
05:31And she did that thing where she holds your hand.
05:33And then because you're finished, she drags you so that you go past her.
05:36Does she?
05:37Yeah, she pulled you along.
05:38Congratulations.
05:41Okay, this is my moment to go.
05:43Yeah, yeah.
05:44So, do you want me to call you sir or just Lenny?
05:46Nah, just Lenny.
05:47Lens.
05:48Len dog.
05:49Len dog.
05:50Len dog.
05:51Len dog.
05:52It was so weird having soup with Lenny.
05:55Shall we go in chicken belly?
05:56No, I'm stuffed.
05:57Oh, my gosh.
05:58I was having memories of my own mum.
06:00I could remember the way my mum used to cook the soup.
06:03And then he was feeling exactly the same.
06:05I feel like I've known him for years.
06:09When you're in London, would you always come here?
06:11I come to this bookshop a lot.
06:13Aw.
06:14Oh, look at this.
06:15Do you know this is my favourite bookshop?
06:16In the whole of London?
06:17It is.
06:18Well, no, there's a few others.
06:19There's the black wine up the road.
06:20And there's new one bookshop.
06:21But this is my favourite posh bookshop.
06:24Lenny, I really struggled with reading, you know.
06:26Like, being in this bookstore frightens me.
06:28Why?
06:29I don't know why.
06:30It's from childhood.
06:31It's like childhood trauma.
06:32Like being put on the spot and things like that.
06:34But my mum didn't notice that I needed glasses.
06:36So I tend to listen to audio books and things like that.
06:40Well, I do that too.
06:41But having a book, it takes me time to read it.
06:44But that's all right.
06:45You've got all the time in the world.
06:46Yeah, yeah.
06:47The best thing in the world is to sit and read for, you know, as long as you want to.
06:50I love that.
06:51Yeah.
06:52I'm not going to lie.
06:53I was a little bit nervous in the bookshop.
06:54Mainly because I'm not a book person.
06:56But he's so disarming.
06:58He's just so normal and so nice and wants to know about you.
07:02I just absolutely love that.
07:04Didn't you play Othello?
07:06I did play Othello.
07:07It changed my life, actually.
07:08Why?
07:09Because I'd never really done stage acting before.
07:11I was always a bit frightened of it.
07:13Can you remember any lines?
07:14I can remember,
07:15My father loved me.
07:16Often invited me.
07:17Still questioned me the story of my life from year to year.
07:19The battles, sieges, fortunes I had passed.
07:22Wherein I spake of and then I forget the rest.
07:24Oh, wow.
07:25That's amazing.
07:26The only thing I can remember is from this story.
07:28But I won't for the Scottish play.
07:29The Scottish play, love.
07:30The Scottish play.
07:31Is this a dagger I see before me?
07:33The hand towards my hand.
07:35Come, let me clench thee.
07:37And that's all I can remember.
07:39That's brilliant.
07:40Well, you should look in there,
07:41because the rest of it will be there.
07:43Julie Cooper.
07:44Oh.
07:45This is a new book of hers.
07:46I've read The Rivals.
07:47It's called Tackle.
07:48Are you a fan of Julie Cooper?
07:49I've met her.
07:50What's she like?
07:51She's incredible.
07:52Oh, good.
07:53She's rich too.
07:55Are you rich, Lenny?
07:56Nah.
07:57You've got a bit of dollar in the bank though,
07:59ain't ya?
08:00No.
08:01Not...
08:02My brother Seymour passed away recently.
08:04Yeah.
08:05Sorry about that.
08:06Yeah.
08:07And I used to...
08:08He always used to ask for very specific amounts of money.
08:10Lynn, I need £3,275 and 36pence.
08:15I'd say that.
08:16Really?
08:17I don't know why.
08:18What?
08:19And you'd pop it in his bank?
08:20No.
08:21They'd be in negotiation.
08:22Yes.
08:23Right.
08:24Shall we total that on?
08:25I've got this, Lenny.
08:26I've got this.
08:27Go on, tot it up.
08:28You're going to pay.
08:29I'll get you.
08:30I'll treat you.
08:31It was actually a lovely feeling to be able to buy him some books.
08:32Thank you for my gift items.
08:33Oh, you're welcome.
08:34You're welcome.
08:35After all, he's quite an old guy, ain't he?
08:37You've got to look after our elders.
08:39Listen, I really want to go to your hometown now.
08:44What, Dudley?
08:45Dudley!
08:46OK.
08:47You up for it?
08:48I think I am, yeah.
08:49Get in the car.
08:50There's a lot of people I owe money to from back in the day, so...
08:52Might be a problem.
08:53Would you mind putting that in there?
08:54Yeah.
08:55Are you ready for this?
08:56Yeah, I'm driving.
08:57Are you ready for Dudley?
08:58I can't wait.
08:59Dudley!
09:00Dudley!
09:01Dudley!
09:02Hi, everyone!
09:03Let's do this.
09:10Are you cold or something?
09:11Because it's literally boiling hot in here.
09:13Do you know what?
09:14I am one of them people who really feels the cold.
09:16Do you want me to tear it down?
09:17I know, but it's like Montego Bay in this car.
09:19What's the matter with you?
09:20Can you do it, babe?
09:21Can I do it?
09:22You too.
09:23Well, I work for you now.
09:24See, me and you couldn't share a bed.
09:26Because I'm very, very hot in bed.
09:29I'm not even going to rise to the challenge.
09:31Like, temperature-wise.
09:32I'm like a little radiator.
09:40My mum's buried over there.
09:42But I don't see my mum as being there, you know.
09:46No, I know.
09:47I used to go there and talk to her.
09:49But I just talked to her wherever I am now.
09:51When did your mum pass?
09:53Was it...?
09:541998.
09:55She was only 76.
09:57That's young.
09:58You want your parents to be around forever, right?
10:00Yeah.
10:01But you want them to be well.
10:02And by the time my mum was 76, she was very, very poorly.
10:06Really?
10:07So, it was...
10:09It was a relief in many...
10:11I've been there.
10:12When you think about it.
10:13I've been there.
10:14I've been there.
10:15When did your mum pass away?
10:162020.
10:17I wasn't around here when mum died, actually.
10:19I was in Canberra.
10:20Was you?
10:21In Australia, because she was poorly.
10:22And I said to the doctor,
10:24I'm supposed to be going on tour, but I can cancel it.
10:28If you think mum's going to be really, really...
10:32poorly soon.
10:38And he said,
10:39you should go on your tour.
10:40She'll be fine.
10:41We've got her.
10:42We'll look after her.
10:43And I got to Canberra, in Australia.
10:45And two days later, I got the phone call that she's passed away.
10:48I can't believe that.
10:49It was awful.
10:50I felt awful.
10:51I should have just stayed.
10:53So I had to go into grief counselling,
10:58because I just didn't know how to handle it, you know.
11:01And I'm a big fan of counselling, actually.
11:03Were they good?
11:04Yeah, they were brilliant.
11:05And lots and lots of talking.
11:09And eventually it just...
11:14I'd rather remember the way she was
11:16than the way she was when she was poorly.
11:18Yeah.
11:19I found it fascinating listening to Lenny open up about his mum.
11:28I know about the comedian.
11:30I've watched him since I was a child.
11:32So it's lovely to actually, like, cut through everything
11:37and really see who Lenny Henry actually is.
11:42This is Douglas Road, where I used to live.
11:44Come on, let's go have a look.
11:45Shall we have a look?
11:46Yeah, come on.
11:47So this is your house?
11:49It looks quite big.
11:50It is quite big.
11:51Well, there was a lot of us, you know.
11:53So it cost three grand.
11:54Yeah.
11:55It's had a hairline crack down the middle.
11:57I think he's still got it.
11:58I think he's still there, yeah.
11:59My mum used to have an old Rover,
12:01and the way she used to park the car for precision's sake was,
12:04she'd drive up to here, she'd hit one column,
12:07then she'd turn the thing and hit the other column,
12:09and then she'd go,
12:10Good, I can go straight now.
12:11And then she'd go in like that.
12:12I love your mum.
12:13That's how she used to park.
12:14Sounds hilarious.
12:15She was brilliant.
12:16And my dad used to be a farmer.
12:18And then one year,
12:19he just decided he was going to plant some things,
12:22and we didn't think anything of it.
12:23And then like in the spring the next year,
12:25there was all this stuff.
12:26Are you serious?
12:27Yeah.
12:28All of this was covered in cabbage,
12:29and carrots, and onions, and potatoes,
12:31and everything like that.
12:32And it was too much.
12:33We had to give it all away.
12:35All these kids were just walking around going,
12:37Do you want some cabbage?
12:38It's free, you can have it.
12:39You should have sold it.
12:40I think he did it just to prove a point.
12:42Come with me.
12:44See this alleyway?
12:45Yeah.
12:48There was a thing.
12:49There was a drain thing down there.
12:52Yeah.
12:53And you could climb down,
12:54and you could go in their house.
12:56Are you actually joking?
12:58You could go in their house.
12:59They had a basement.
13:01Oh, hello, bub.
13:03Hello.
13:04How are you?
13:05Hello.
13:06Nice to meet you.
13:07Lovely to meet you.
13:08How long have you had this house?
13:10Nearly 50 years ago.
13:11Really, yeah?
13:12So you must have known her.
13:13So you would have been my neighbour.
13:14So do you remember me?
13:15Do you remember him?
13:16I've known your mother.
13:17Winnie.
13:18Yeah.
13:19Winnie.
13:20Here?
13:21Aww.
13:22It's a reunion.
13:23This is so lovely.
13:24Nice to see you.
13:27Aww.
13:29I literally used to be in this woman's cellar.
13:31Literally.
13:32Thank you so much.
13:33Ta-ra.
13:34Yeah.
13:35See ya.
13:36Aww, how lovely is that?
13:39See you later.
13:41Aww, that was an unexpected surprise.
13:44And it seems his mum made an impression on everyone she met.
13:48They called her Big Winnie.
13:50She was strong.
13:51She could literally knock a bloke through a brick wall.
13:53And she didn't take any crap from anybody.
13:55Seriously?
13:56My mum was serious.
13:57So were people scared of Big Winnie?
13:59No, they were respectful.
14:00Oh, okay.
14:01She was tough, by the way.
14:02Very, very tough.
14:04And even when I did New Faces, she stopped me here, because I'd bunked off school.
14:09And she said, like this, she's like, where you been?
14:12Them telling me you never got to school.
14:14I said, I've been to do an audition in Burningham.
14:17What kind of audition?
14:19For a TV show.
14:20What kind of TV show?
14:21New Faces?
14:22New Faces?
14:23What you do on your faces?
14:26I did impressions.
14:27What kind of impressions?
14:28Frank Spencer?
14:29Do it.
14:30What?
14:31Do it.
14:32On the doorstep?
14:33Right here.
14:34So I'm here going, hello, Betty.
14:36Thank you very much.
14:37I wanted to talk to you the other day.
14:40I had cling film all round here.
14:43I said, what's the matter with me?
14:44He said, well, I can clearly see you're nuts.
14:46I'm just literally doing that for my mum here.
14:49Hello, Betty.
14:50I'm doing all of that here before I could go in and have soup.
14:53There was literally soup waiting for me and she wouldn't let me go in.
14:56You had to perform for your food.
14:5815 minutes.
14:59That is unbelievable.
15:01So she was really strict.
15:02And I know she loved us because she provided for us.
15:05Yeah, yeah.
15:06And there wasn't a time in this house when we were without food.
15:08We did a lot of watching the telly together.
15:10We didn't go on the holidays because we couldn't afford it.
15:12We spent most of our summers on the park.
15:14Let's go to the park.
15:15Let's go to the park.
15:16Have you got a ball?
15:17I ain't got a ball.
15:18We could play kick the can.
15:19Do you remember kick the can?
15:20Yeah, we used to play kick the can.
15:24What a lovely park.
15:25It's actually beautiful.
15:27Everything happened over here.
15:28First kiss.
15:29Who was the girl then?
15:30I can't tell you.
15:31I'd have to kill you.
15:32But it was over there.
15:33Was it the best kiss you've ever had?
15:35No.
15:36No, that was later.
15:37Did you even know what to do?
15:39No.
15:40You know that thing where you do the thing of...
15:42Oh, no!
15:43You do this.
15:44It was like a movie kiss.
15:46It was one of those kisses.
15:47I think people kiss like these.
15:49And we used to practise on our hands.
15:50Did you ever do that?
15:51Yes, I did.
15:52All the time.
15:54Lenny's childhood was full of laughter.
15:56Until a life-changing moment turned his world upside down.
16:01When you were really young...
16:02Yes.
16:03..you found out that your dad, who you thought was your dad, wasn't your dad.
16:08Yeah.
16:09What was that like?
16:10I was about 12 when I found out.
16:13I used to go to Uncle Bertie's house.
16:16I started going to see him when I was about nine or something.
16:19Go to Uncle Bertie's house and help him with chores,
16:22and maybe he'll give you two and six.
16:24So I'd go to his house and I'd be vacuuming and cleaning the windows
16:27and washing up and everything like that.
16:28Yeah.
16:29And he had a son called Lloyd and he'd be watching me
16:31doing the hoovering with a pinion like Cinderella.
16:33And then one day he just said,
16:34you don't know why you're here, do you?
16:36And I went, no.
16:37He said, is your dad?
16:40And I sort of literally dropped the hoover,
16:42took my pinion off and I went in the kitchen.
16:44And he was in there, Bertie.
16:46Oh, my gosh.
16:47Banging the rice against the wall to make sure it was done.
16:49And I said, Lloyd says you're my dad.
16:53Is it true?
16:54And he said, yes, your mother never tell you.
16:56And I just ran out of there.
16:58I said, Mom.
16:59And she was cooking the rice and banging it against the wall
17:01to see if it was done.
17:03I said, Mom, Bertie says he's my dad.
17:06Is it true?
17:07And she said, yes.
17:08Why didn't you tell me?
17:09She said, we thought we'd give you a bit of time
17:11to get used to him first.
17:13And it's not an uncommon story in the black community.
17:17I don't know if you've had this experience.
17:18Oh, really?
17:19Yeah.
17:20Really?
17:21Yeah.
17:22What was your story?
17:23Well, my story is that my mum went with a married man
17:26and had me.
17:27Did you not meet him or anything?
17:29I met him, but it was like, when he used to meet me,
17:31it was like he was the best dad in the whole wide world.
17:34So he'd be like, he'd tell everyone and go,
17:36bet you know who this child is.
17:38And everyone would go, yeah, Mr Hammond, that's your daughter.
17:41And then he'd leave for like a year and then come back.
17:45Same again.
17:46As if nothing had happened.
17:48So he was like an absent dad.
17:50My birth dad was very present.
17:52I think he wanted people to know that I was his son.
17:56Yeah.
17:57And because I've been raised by Winston at Douglas Road,
18:01I saw him as my real dad because he was there all the time.
18:04Yeah.
18:05Being grumpy.
18:06We just never knew why he was grumpy.
18:08But I guess that was the reason.
18:12Imagine being told at the age of 11 that, yeah, that's your dad.
18:16It was just incredible.
18:19Incredible to listen to his story.
18:21I'm actually quite surprised at how open he's actually been.
18:25Ah!
18:26All right, Bab, all right.
18:27All right, chap, all right.
18:28Come through.
18:29Slow down.
18:30We're just making a television show.
18:32He's really angry.
18:33Don't fall out of you, Pam.
18:34Really vexed.
18:35He's really angry.
18:36This person was really vexed.
18:37Oh, my God.
18:38That face when you're driving.
18:40Did he say he was going to run us over, weren't he?
18:42He was going to run us over.
18:43I've been knocked down twice in Dudley.
18:44You haven't?
18:45I have, yeah.
18:46I've been knocked over.
18:47By what?
18:48Once by a coach.
18:49I'm sorry, I'm laughing.
18:50Are you laughing now?
18:51I'm sorry.
18:52Who gets knocked over by a coach?
18:54Once by a coach.
18:55Are you actually joking?
18:56On Dixon's Green.
18:57Dixon's Green's over there.
18:59A coach?
19:00I was crossing over the road from school and then BAM!
19:03I was literally flying through the air.
19:05Are you serious?
19:06Yeah.
19:07And did you tell your mum?
19:08No.
19:09You didn't tell anyone?
19:10Why are you standing in front of the coach?
19:13That's what would have happened.
19:15It's interesting to see how he uses laughter and comedy in order for it not to feel uncomfortable.
19:23It's something that I know I do myself.
19:26That was really quite interesting to see that side of Lenny.
19:31I've loved hearing stories about Lenny's childhood.
19:34But I want to see more of his hometown.
19:36So where are we now then?
19:37Where's this?
19:38It's the little town centre.
19:39Around the corner from Dudley town centre.
19:40It's so old looking.
19:41It's sort of the civic bit.
19:42This is the town halls down there.
19:43It's beautiful.
19:44Carriages around the corner.
19:45The old buildings look.
19:46Yeah man.
19:47Boston Bites.
19:48They used to sell pork baps in there.
19:49Oh I love a pork bap.
19:50Oh me too.
19:51With the crackling on the side.
19:52Oh I've had that all day long.
19:53Pork baps delicious.
19:55Was your mum really into you integrating with regards to like community and stuff?
19:59Uh she used to say, here's the hinto great.
20:01You have to hinto great.
20:14ì·¨ate with hinto great.
20:16You have to hinto great with the Dudley people then.
20:19Eat their food.
20:20Otherwise you won't fit in.
20:21Because there was obviously a lot of um racism around at the time.
20:28My sister Kay, who's four years older than me, was a legend.
20:31Because on the way to school, when I'd be being racially abused or beaten up by these big kids,
20:37my sister Kay would just sweep in and whoop ass!
20:40Seriously?
20:41She was like John Wick with an afro.
20:45But I made jokes. That's how I got out of it.
20:48Did you have that at school?
20:50Do you know, there was only one time a boy called me.
20:53He just looked at me and went, I didn't realise elephants were brown.
20:56Wow.
20:57And I was like, oh.
20:58I think I was more upset that he called me an elephant.
21:01I was gutted.
21:03That's terrible.
21:04What's clear to me is that even though Lenny's a sir and hugely successful,
21:10he's kept his feet firmly on the ground.
21:12This is absolutely crazy.
21:14I bet there's more people when you're walking around your old ends, innit?
21:17Well, it's not. I'll be honest with you. I've never seen this before.
21:21DVDs, CDs.
21:22CDs? Have you even got a CD player?
21:24I've got a CD player, yeah.
21:26Oh, my God.
21:26Oh, what's this good on here?
21:27Quality.
21:29It's got Lucky Star Holiday on here.
21:31You must be my lucky star.
21:34Tune.
21:34Cos you shine on me wherever you are.
21:39What a tune.
21:39Oh, some gospel hits.
21:41I like this one.
21:42How much are your CDs?
21:44Pounds.
21:4550 pence and a pound.
21:45Great to you, darling.
21:46Oh!
21:48No problem.
21:49I wish I'd known.
21:50Come on.
21:51Thanks very much, mate.
21:53You're a really nice bloke.
21:55So, Lenny, tell me about the freedom of being here in Dudley.
22:00You've got a blackout or something, haven't you?
22:02I was given the freedom of Dudley, and there's an honour roll where your name gets carved in in gold leaf.
22:08Wow.
22:09And it's beautiful.
22:09And one of the things, apparently, you can do is drive sheep.
22:14Why would you ever have to drive sheep through Dudley Town?
22:19But, apparently, I can do that.
22:21It's great.
22:22Babes, look over there.
22:23I never thought I'd actually have to do it.
22:32This is your day-to-day.
22:33Hello, Babes.
22:34Hello.
22:35How are you?
22:37What's the names of our sheep, then?
22:38Have you got Mary?
22:39Yeah.
22:40Milkshake.
22:41Fudge and Inky.
22:42I'll have fudge and Inky.
22:44Shall I take Mary and Milkshake?
22:47I've got a real chunky one, this one.
22:49Yeah, this one.
22:49One of these looks like somebody I went to school with.
22:53Inky, slow down.
22:55Bloody hell.
22:58I never actually thought I'd have to do this.
23:02You'll have to drop the LN.
23:06We've got freedom of the city.
23:08Don't worry, everyone.
23:09I'm allowed to do this.
23:12If I want to go and pound bakery with these, I can.
23:16In fact, I might go and show them.
23:18Hang on, hang on.
23:19Are we allowed?
23:20I don't know.
23:21Come on.
23:22He's got the freedom of the city.
23:24Hello there.
23:25You all right?
23:26Come on, Inky.
23:27Don't worry.
23:28I won't cross the threshold.
23:30But I've got the freedom of the city.
23:33Yeah, we're like Bonnie and Clyde up in here.
23:36This way, love.
23:37Come on.
23:38It was actually quite difficult.
23:40I had the fattest sheep you've ever seen,
23:41and it was very, very hard to handle.
23:44But I enjoyed it.
23:45I think Lenny enjoyed it.
23:47I don't think we'll be doing it again,
23:48but it's a memory I'm going to keep close to my sheepskin jacket for a long time.
23:58I had aspirations because there were nice houses down here, actually.
24:01I always wondered what it'd be like to live there, you know,
24:03with a front lawn.
24:07You ought to look to the house and think,
24:08I'm wondering, I'm going to have one of those.
24:09And a nice car.
24:10I wouldn't be around here today
24:11if there weren't people who supported me,
24:13who became my allies,
24:15who wanted me to succeed.
24:16And I'll always be grateful to those people
24:17who laughed and said,
24:19you could be something, Lenny and Marie.
24:20You should be on the telly.
24:21You should.
24:21But it does matter, though, doesn't it?
24:24You can remember when you were a kid
24:25and, like, someone black was on the TV,
24:27and you'd be like,
24:27Mum! Mum!
24:30Lenny's on the telly!
24:31Come downstairs!
24:33Like, literally, he'd, like, freak out.
24:36Yeah, yeah, yeah.
24:36But on behalf of people of colour,
24:39can I say thank you for doing that?
24:43We're going to the Lamp.
24:44The Lamp Tavern.
24:45Tell me about the Lamp.
24:46The Lamp used to be an own beer brewery
24:50but he used to be put on poetry nights
24:52and folk nights there.
24:54So we're going to go there and reminisce now?
24:55We're going to go and reminisce.
24:57Oh, that's lovely.
24:58About being in the Lamp.
24:59Maybe you could play for me or sing for me?
25:01I might do. I might do.
25:02Oh, is this it here?
25:03Go into here.
25:04Oh, lovely.
25:09Ladies and gentlemen,
25:10I give you the Lamp Tavern.
25:12Oh!
25:14This is nice.
25:15Isn't it?
25:16Do you just go in?
25:17Yeah, yeah.
25:17It's very dark, isn't it?
25:25It's dark, yeah.
25:27Don't worry about it.
25:29So my friend Greg used to run folk nights here
25:32and blues nights here.
25:34And then when I did my album,
25:36if you want a copy, I've got 15.
25:39But I did love the experience of making it.
25:41I loved working with these guys.
25:43And it was fantastic.
25:44Was you nervous?
25:45I was really nervous, yeah.
25:46Because, you know,
25:47what you don't want is people from Dudley saying,
25:49don't give up your day job.
25:51Yeah, but you have got a good voice.
25:53Do you know what I mean?
25:54I'm not a professional by any means.
25:55Yeah, yeah, yeah.
25:55But I do love it.
25:56So what do you want to drink?
25:58Well, I'm going to...
25:58I'd like to...
25:59I'd like to make a rum punch, if that's cool.
26:01Oh, I would love a rum punch.
26:03I think I was about eight or something
26:05when I had my first rum punch.
26:06Yeah.
26:06Which I know is wrong.
26:08But, oh boy,
26:10school was very interesting the next day.
26:12Really?
26:13Let's just say that.
26:16Here you go.
26:18Cheers, Pam.
26:19Cheers.
26:21Mmm.
26:22That is delicious.
26:25Hi-ya.
26:26It's very nice.
26:27It's lovely.
26:28It's very nice.
26:30Foot stomping.
26:32Hi-ya.
26:37We're here, we're here.
26:43Woo!
26:43Get up and sing.
26:44Do you think so?
26:45Come on.
26:52Mr. Lenny Henneman, everyone!
26:54Well, I tried to tell you, baby
27:03But it don't make no sense
27:06He's good.
27:08He is one of the best singers I've ever heard.
27:11He's got a lovely voice.
27:13Very bluesy.
27:14Great.
27:15It's our shame, shame, shame
27:19Shame on you
27:23Yes, Lenny!
27:32What's great about Lenny is
27:34He's so connected to his roots
27:36You know, he still knows everybody
27:38When Lenny comes home
27:40People love it
27:41They absolutely are drawn to him
27:44Put your hands together like this
27:45Come on now
27:46All you want to do is ride around Henry
27:50Ride, Henry, ride
27:53Well, the lamp tavern was different, wasn't it?
27:56I did not expect to be singing
27:58Ride, Henry, ride
28:01Do you know what?
28:02I'm not going to lie
28:03I feel like I could do arenas now
28:05Ladies and gentlemen
28:08The magnificent Alison Hammond
28:10Give it up!
28:11Give me a hug
28:12I'm going now, bub
28:13I've had the best time with you today
28:16It's been lovely
28:16Thank you so much
28:16It's been lovely
28:17Oh, how lovely is Lenny though
28:20Like, he's not Lenny Henry the comedian
28:22He's Lenny Henry
28:24The singer, the comedian
28:26The activist
28:28The charity worker
28:30He's everything all in one
28:32He's combated racism
28:34He's turned trauma around into comedy
28:38But thank God he did that
28:40Because he has entertained us
28:42For the last 50 years
28:43He's incredible
28:45And such an inspiration
28:46For me and so many others
28:48Never mind a sir
28:49He's a G
28:50He's just a G
28:53And I absolutely adore him
28:55He's amazing
28:55Wonderful world
28:58Beautiful people
29:00You and your girl
29:03This could be pretty
29:05But underneath this
29:07There is a secret
29:09That nobody
29:11Can reveal
29:13Oh, beautiful people
29:22You and your girl
29:24This could be pretty
29:26But underneath this