Sir Lenny Henry has revealed that discovering his biological father was not the man who raised him felt like 'being hit by a truck'. The comedian, 67, was born to Jamaican immigrants Winifred and Winston Henry and grew up in Dudley, West Midlands. However, he later learned his real father was Albert Green, a man he had known as a family friend.
Speaking at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of London's Riverside Studios, Henry described the moment that 'turned his world upside down'. He said: 'I had this bombshell dropped in my life, and I… played amongst the ruins - hoping it would all work out in the end. And you know what? It did.'
Henry explained that his mother Winifred came to England by boat in the mid-1950s, leaving her husband and two sons in Jamaica. She fell ill with pneumonia, and Albert Green, who lived above her, nursed her back to health. They fell in love, and Henry was the result. Winifred wrote to her husband Winston, giving him the choice to stay in Jamaica or come to England and forgive her. Winston chose to come, but Henry believes he never fully forgave her, leading to violent arguments.
Henry recalled his parents fighting: 'Jamaicans fight with their fists,' he said, adding that his first memory was watching them 'punch each other's lights out'. He also spoke about his mother's strict discipline, including an incident where she hit him in the face with a frying pan. 'I know people don't like it… but it's my life, it happened to me,' he said.
Henry learned the truth about his paternity at age 12 from Albert's son Lloyd, who told him: 'That's your dad.' Henry said: 'I was starting to shake. It was like somebody flipped me upside down.' He ran home, and the revelation stayed with him. Despite the shock, Henry maintained a relationship with Albert, visiting him on Fridays for chores and receiving a chocolate bar and a can of Coke as payment.
