We have to remember how talented he is.

And how much he has done for Comic Relief. Which is why Lenny Henry’s knighthood is thoroughly deserved. And yet what is it about him that so many people find so irritating? Despite the fame, fortune, enormous talent and hugely successful career, does he still seem to be trying too hard? In the early days, he was trying too hard to be loud, zany and wacky. Latterly he seems to be trying too hard to be a “proper” actor and serious thinker. Lenny Henry should be a much-loved national treasure but somehow he isn’t. Is it a lack of smart, spontaneous wit or an inability to laugh at himself that precludes him from QI and Have I Got News For You? I don’t know what it is. But let’s just look at this and remember that when he’s on song, he’s fantastic.