Comedian Lenny Henry was all smiles after being presented with his own star on Birmingham’s Walk of Stars.
The much-loved comedian is being immortalised alongside the likes of fellow comedian Jasper Carrot and rock star Ozzy Osbourne.
His star will be placed on Broad Street and the Dudley-born 51-year-old believes that is exactly where his star belongs.
He said: “Show business is all about being among lairy drunk people who are hurling chunks at 3am. So really to have my star on Broad Street is ideal.
“It is like a surrogate Lenny Henry laying down there all the time for people to be sick on.
“Mind you, if my mum had been alive she would’ve put a fence round it and hoovered it. She’d be shouting ‘mind where you be walking, don’t you be sick on Lenny’s square’.”
The award was presented to him at Jongleurs comedy club.
More than 200 people bought tickets to see the ceremony.
Lenny, who is married to comedy actress Dawn French, showed his gratitude for the support given to him by the people of Birmingham.
He said: “I would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone in Birmingham who has been a fan over the years.
“You paid for my mum’s house, and television, and washing machine, and phone.
“That meant whenever I set the house on fire I didn’t have to run down to the phone box to try to figure out how to use it before calling the fire brigade.”
Birmingham’s Lord Mayor Coun Michael Wilkes made the award and he said: “He is a great performer who is extremely versatile and made a lot of people laugh with his humour.
“He recently performed Othello, so how more versatile do you want him to be? He richly deserves his star and I was proud to present him with it.”
In the crowd watching him collect his star were Audrey Whelan and Irene Thompson, both 64, from Northfield, Birmingham. “I think he is a down to earth man and seems really nice,” said former cook Audrey. “He is funny and a proper West Midland kind of person.”
