Arise Sir Lenny Henry of Dudley

Arise Sir Lenny Henry!  It's not a joke: finally one of Briton's finest comics has received notice that he will be one of those honoured in the Queen's Birthday honours list. We're not sure what Delbert Wilkins from the Brixton Broadcasting Corporation would make of his elevation, but we're pleased as punch! He's come a long way, has the boy from Dudley in Birmingham.

Of late, Sir Lenny has led the way in the campaign to increase diversity on and off screen. His campaign has helped bring attention to the lack of BME talent in the UK creative industries. This has been incredibly important work: the reality is that today peoples' reality is increasingly shaped by what they see on screen.

Let's also not forget the hit US series 24 was one of the first to show a black President, before the election of Barack Obama.  In some ways this helped to prepare Americans for the election of a black President.

So maybe it's time for Sir Lenny and others to produce comedies, a play, a series or a movie featuring a black Prime Minister. As the current PM recently acknowledged, the voting demography of the UK will produce Britain's first black PM, at some time in the near future.

As champion of charitable causes such as Red Nose Day and a passionate advocate for artistic diversity, Sir Lenny's recognition is well deserved and we at OBV salute you!

No doubt Delbert will be chuffed too!

Lee Jasper