Sir Lenny Henry is set to present new comedy show 'It's Alive'.
Sir Lenny Henry
The 59-year-old funnyman hasn't been the face of a primetime show for over six years since he took on BBC One series 'The Magicians', but after taking some time to star in drama shows such as 'Broadchurch', the comedian is back to bring more laughs to Saturday nights.
Lenny will be hosting 'It's Alive', a new studio-based programme featuring sketches, songs and celebrity chats, which is set to tape its pilot episode for ITV later this month.
A show insider told The Sun newspaper: "Sir Lenny may be known these days as an actor in hard-hitting dramas and Shakespearean plays, but he'll always be a comedian at heart.
"ITV wants to bring Lenny back to his comic roots in It's Alive - and from ideas he's mooted for it with producers, it's going to have viewers in fits of laughter.
"A pilot of the show will be recorded in front of an audience later this month in the hope it will be turned into a full series to air later this year.
"It's being tipped to be placed in the primetime Saturday night slot that has been occupied by the likes of 'Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway', 'X Factor' and 'The Voice'."
It comes after the comedian starred in the final series of 'Broadchurch' last year as Ed Burnett, alongside the likes of David Tennant and Olivia Coleman.
Speaking about the series, Lenny previously said: "It's been a fantastic experience to be involved with as a series. This has been very exciting working with Sarah and with David and Olivia. They have been really welcoming, welcomed all the new people to the cast. It's good to be Ed Burnett with my own farm shop. We don't want to give too much away. I'm not allowed to say anything. It's a secret, I can't tell you."