Lenny Henry was a co founder of Comic Relief, and has maintained a strong presence for nearly forty years. However this year’s event will be his last with a main role. He is going to step back.

Why?

Henry told BBC Breakfast: “There’s all these new, wonderful comedians with podcasts and nine million followers, and those guys or women should be hosting Comic Relief now so that the young people and the new influx of viewers can plug into the next stage of Comic Relief, because there will be a next stage, and because we want to continue tackling issues of poverty and injustice… It’s time to hand over the reins, as it were…”

Comic Relief has raised over £1.5 billion.