Lenny Henry to be knighted in Queen's birthday honours

Award-winning actor and comedian Lenny Henry is to be knighted in the Queen's birthday honours, it has been revealed.

Henry, who has recently enjoyed a stellar stage acting career with credits including Othello, Fences and The Comedy of Errors, said getting the honour was "a lovely feeling, it was like being filled with lemonade".

Speaking to BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans, he added: "It is a wonderful thing and my family are really, really chuffed. My friends have not stopped ringing up and saying congratulations. It is an extraordinary thing and I'm very chuffed."

Henry came late to acting after a long career in comedy, which saw him become the face of Comic Relief. The conversion came about thanks to an Open University course he took in English literature.

"When I began studying for an Open University degree, it was a pivotal period that opened my mind to the delights of Shakespeare and so much more," he said recently.

He is soon to be seen in the Chichester Festival Theatre revival of Willy Russell's Educating Rita.

The Queen's birthday honours list will be officially announced on Friday.