Lenny Henry

Sir CBE (born 29 August 1958 ) played a spoof version of the Doctor in a sketch on The Lenny Henry Show, released in 1985. This sketch predated the departure of Colin Baker in 1986, and saw Henry play the newly regenerated "Seventh Doctor," making him the first black actor to portray the Doctor in any capacity, paving the way for Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor and Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor.

Thirty-five years later, Henry portrayed Daniel Barton in the Doctor Who television story Spyfall.

He also appeared as himself, alongside Doctor Who elements, in the 2011 BBC Christmas ident.

Comic character Rudy Zoom was inspired by Lenny Henry.

In the 2023 Comic Relief Red Nose Day special, Henry played a fictional version of himself who regenerated into the Fourteenth Doctor.

Career
In 2017, he guest starred in the third and final series of Broadchurch where he starred alongside David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker. This was the first time he had worked with Chris Chibnall.

He was also the founder of the poverty charity Comic Relief.