Lenny Henry makes surprise appearance with rarely-seen partner Lisa Makin

Lenny Henry and Lisa Makin enjoyed a rare date night on Wednesday. Pictured at the National Theatre's Up Next gala in London, the couple – who began dating in 2012 – cuddled up on the red carpet. 

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Putting on a dapper display, Lenny, 65, stepped out in a burgundy velvet jacket, crisp white shirt and tailored trousers. Meanwhile, his longtime love, Lisa, turned heads in a green sequin-soaked jacket that shimmered in the light. Sporting a bold red lip, the theatre producer looked positively radiant. 

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It's been a busy few weeks for Lenny and Lisa, who recently attended the Olivier Awards at The Royal Albert Hall in April. Sharing a laugh as they posed on the green carpet, the duo stayed close throughout the night, holding hands as they mingled with Sonia Friedman and Marianne Elliott. 

As of 2024, the couple will have been together for 12 years. Extremely private when it comes to their relationship, Lenny was asked about the possibility of a proposal. Speaking to The Times, the comedian joked: "Have you been talking to Lisa? No comment."

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Prior to meeting his partner, Lenny was married to Vicar of Dibley star Dawn French for 25 years. The former couple – who tied the knot in 1984 and adopted their daughter, Billie in 1991 – announced their separation and subsequent divorce in 2010.

An official statement released on behalf of the couple declared: "The separation is entirely amicable and they fully intend to maintain their close friendship. Their priority is to commit to the future joint parenting of their daughter."

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In recent years, Lenny and Dawn have spoken about the end of their marriage. "I got divorced... it wasn't that bad," Lenny said to The Mirror in 2012, adding that he had become closer to Billie. 

Four years later, he told the Express: "There's generally a situation where one partner wants the marriage to finish more than the other. I think maybe one of us did, then the other one did, and then the other did over a period of time and then, in the end, we thought, 'Oh, actually maybe we both do'. We knew it wasn't possible to continue."

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As for Dawn, the actress explained that they had shifted from a "very happy marriage" to a "lasting friendship." 

"Remarkably, we seem to have shifted with relative ease from a 25-year marriage to a lasting friendship," she told The Mirror in 2017. "I am amazed by us. There is no war, we've turned out to be the best of friends. There were lots of good years but one tricky last year."