Children in Need presenter Lenny Rush's TV roles, school roles and pride at representing medical condition on TV
BBC Children In Need will be watched by millions across the nation, with three hours of comedy, music and surprise guests lined-up for an evening of entertainment aimed at raising as much money as possible to support disadvantaged children and young people.
Airing on BBC One from 7pm on Friday, November 15, there is plenty to look forward to, including a jam-packed evening of sketches and performances featuring well-known faces as you have never seen them before.
And one of the presenters in the studio making sure it all goes to plan is Lenny Rush, who returns in the role for a second year in a row, having made history last year as the first ever child presenter of the show. For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter.
Despite only being 15 years old, Lenny has already had an incredible career in television and even has a BAFTA under his belt for best male comedy performance in the BBC series Am I Being Unreasonable? in which he played Ollie alongside Daisy May Cooper. The teenager, who hails from Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, first appeared on camera on the CBeebies docusoap Our Family.
Lenny is also a star of a BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol, where he played Tiny Tim, and has had roles on Apple Tree House, The Dumping Ground, BBC's Dodger and The Story of Tracy Beaker. More recently, Lenny portrayed George in the heart-breaking Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen drama Best Interests and will feature in Doctor Who alongside Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa.
The teenager has spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, a form of dwarfism. Speaking to the Guardian, he said he wants to help increase representation of people with dwarfism. He explained: "There weren’t too many people out there [with my condition]. There is Warwick [Davies], and I remember Verne Troyer, and there’s Peter Dinklage, but they are the only actors I know, which is a shame. There should be more."
He told the Metro in 2022 how proud he was to represent the disabled community on screen. He said: "I’m proud because you don’t, it’s a shame, but you don’t see many. It is getting better, it’s getting better and better. But yeah I mean it’s sort of it’s still quite rare to see in my opinion, so I’m proud to be representing them."
Discussing his role on this year's BBC Children In Need, Lenny said: "I am presenting for the second year in a row. I am so excited, I absolutely love it! It’s an honour host one of the most iconic events on TV. I think I am excited to see all the amazing fundraising again and how much everyone puts into everything. I am excited to be up there and presenting. It’s such a buzz.
"I think it’s (important) because of some of the struggles happening out there. It’s just important to sort of remind people of that. There can be some tough, challenging parts on the show, but it is sort of a time when everyone in UK comes together. We all just celebrate the goodness as well. We all do something for a good cause." Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news. You will receive updates from us daily.
