Lenny Henry is due to receive a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours List to be announced next week. According to newspaper reports Henry will receive the award for his for services to charity and comedy. This year the total raised by Red Nose Day hit £1bn.

According to the story, Henry turned down an OBE under the last Conservative government in 1994, but accepted a CBE in 1999 when Labour was in power.

Henry has recently established himself as a straight actor as well as a stand-up comedian. He starred in an acclaimed stage production of Othello and most recently has been in BBC drama The Syndicate.

He has been involved in Comic Relief since it was launched in 1985 by Richard Curtis. This year it raised £78m. He has also been outspoken about the lack of black faces in the British media and has recently been the face of Premier Inns in their television ad campaigns.