Lenny is having a laugh

12:50pm Thursday 25th January 2007

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Comedian Lenny Henry is bringing his stand-up show to Blackpool on January 26. And he paid a flying visit to the town on Monday to reminisce about his time working at North Pier and chat about his new TV show, Lenny's Britain.

Citizen reporter Nazia Parveen, a fellow West Midlander, met him at the Grand Theatre.

"I have very strong ties with Blackpool," said Lenny, 47.

"I did my first top show here in 1975 and performing in Blackpool has got me to where I am today."

He recalled the time he spent in the resort in November filming scenes for his BBC1 show Lenny's Britain which looks at humour around the country.

In his week long stay he took on chambermaid duties at the Queen's Hotel, South Promenade, became a ride operator on the waltzers and dodgem cars on South Pier and danced the night away at Funny Girls in Dickson Road.

"The chambermaiding was an amazing experience but for all the wrong reasons," he said.

"They have to do some of the worst jobs like cleaning up men's wee and changing horrible bed linen. It was definitely an eye-opener."

Lenny, who is from Dudley, first performed in Blackpool when he was just 16 after appearing on talent show New Faces.

He then returned a number of times to work with acts such as Cannon and Ball and the Grumbleweeds.

He was top of the bill when he performed with comic David Copperfield at the North Pier Theatre in 1984.

Lenny, who is married to comedy actress Dawn French, has been a familiar face on British television for more than 30 years, with Tiswas, Three of a Kind, the Lenny Henry Show and Chef just a few of the programmes on his CV.

Over the years he has also toured his stand-up show extensively, appeared in films and has been heavily involved in Comic Relief.

This week he commented on the changing face of Blackpool, from a very glam place in the 70s to the present day where it is renowned for hen and stag dos.

But he believes it has managed to retain its naughty sense of humour.

"Blackpool is a place with a good sense of humour, there is a camaraderie here that you don't find in many places.

"People talk in punchlines and they know how to have a laugh.

"I still love this place and now that my daughter has grown up I will definitely be coming back and doing more gigs, maybe next time I could do a whole week."

Lenny's Britain will be on TV in summer.

See Lenny Henry's Where You From? stand-up show at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool on Friday, January 26.