Sir Lenny Henry is a much-loved comedian, actor, presenter and writer - but who is his famous girlfriend? The 67-year-old first shot to fame as a stand-up comedian and impressionist during the late 1970s and early 1980s, going on to become the most high-profile black British comedian of his generation.

In 1985, Lenny co-founded the charity Comic Relief alongside comedy screenwriter Richard Curtis. He has featured in a host of well-known TV productions, including the sitcom Chef! and presenting the talent show The Magicians.

The star is now set to appear on ITV's The Assembly, a programme in which celebrities field questions from a group of young people who are autistic, neurodivergent or have learning disabilities. The official synopsis confirms that "no area is out of bounds". Ahead of Lenny's episode airing on ITV1 tonight (Friday, April 17) at 10.05pm, let's take a closer look at his long-standing romance with his very well-known girlfriend, reports the Mirror.

Lenny has been in a relationship with casting director Lisa Makin since 2012. He was previously married to fellow comedian Dawn French from 1974 to 2010. The pair, who went their separate ways after 25 years together, are parents to their adopted daughter Billie.

Lenny's current girlfriend, Lisa, is a highly accomplished casting director and creative producer, widely recognised for her extensive body of work across British theatre and television. She served as Head of Casting and Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre for two decades and has contributed to prominent projects including Danny and the Human Zoo, Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, and Broadway productions such as La Bête.

Lenny spoke openly about his relationship with Lisa during the most recent episode of The Assembly. He was notably asked: "Did your partner strong-arm you into doing this programme?" Lenny responded: "We watched several of the programmes and I said, '[It would] be a bit nerve-wracking to be on that show,' and she said, 'No, you should do it.'"

He continued: "And then I got asked to be on the show, and I said, 'What do you think?' Lisa said, 'You should do that,' so that's why I'm here." Lenny then addressed the camera directly, stating: "Thanks Lisa, I'm on it now. It's like being at speeding court. I've never been asked so many questions in my entire life."

Discussing how he first met his partner, Lenny recalled: "She was actually a producer on a show that I did. I was in Shakespeare's Othello, and so I met her then. We had lots of cups of tea, and I just started to like her more and more."

The comedian was promptly asked: "Why haven't you put a ring on it then?" with Lenny amusingly responding: "Have you been talking to her?!"

The Assembly is available to stream on ITVX