Sir Lenny Henry will be presented with NTAs’ Special Recognition Award

Sir Lenny Henry is to be presented with the NTAs‘ coveted gold Special Recognition Award at the annual ceremony on Thursday night.

This year’s National Television Awards will honour the 64-year-old and his trailblazing career in UK television, which has endured for nearly 50 years.

Celebrity fans will be seen paying tribute to the comedian and fundraising Comic Relief frontman when the awards are broadcast live on ITV from the OVO Arena, Wembley.

Loved-up: Sir Lenny Henry is to be presented with the NTAs’ coveted gold Special Recognition Award at the annual ceremony on Thursday night

Sir Lenny has been a mainstay on TV for nearly 50 years, starting with his 1975 victory on New Faces at the age of 16 which led to further acclaim on such era-defining shows as Tiswas and Three of a Kind.

Breaking new ground for black talent, he went on to experience huge success with his own sketch comedy series before playing a key role in the formation of Comic Relief. 

More recent projects have seen him diversify into acting, most notably on stage as Othello and on screen in the big-budget Amazon Prime series, Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power.

Icon: This year’s National Television Awards will honour the 64-year-old and his trailblazing career in UK television, which has endured for nearly 50 years (pictured on Tiswas in the ’70s)

New role: More recent projects have seen him diversify into acting, most notably in the big-budget Amazon Prime series, Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power

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Among those congratulating Sir Lenny for his achievements as a writer, campaigner, comedian and presenter will be Hollywood superstar Whoopi Goldberg, who says, ‘If you want to know what a superhero looks like, take a look at Sir Lenny Henry.’

There will be two notable faces missing from Thursday’s NTAs ceremony though as MailOnline revealed on Wednesday that Ant and Dec have pulled out of attending after being struck down with Covid.

The TV duo, who have won best presenter at the NTAs for 20 consecutive years, are suffering from flu-like symptoms and are ‘bed bound’ with the contagious infection.

Big break: Sir Lenny has been a mainstay on TV for nearly 50 years, starting with his 1975 victory on New Faces at the age of 16 (pictured)

Comedic talents: Breaking new ground for black talent, he went on to experience huge success with his own sketch comedy series before playing a key role in Comic Relief

A Britain’s Got Talent spokesperson announced on Wednesday that the pair are ‘unwell’ and won’t be working until they recover.

A source told MailOnline: ‘Ant and Dec are gutted. They love the NTAs, it’s the best night in TV, and for them it’s an event they always look forward to.

‘They’re both feeling really poorly but will be watching the show from bed and hope to be well and working again soon.’

Varied career: Sir Lenny has taken on notable acting roles in recent years, appearing in dramas such as ITV’s Broadchurch in 2017

Loved-up: Lenny Henry pictured with his partner Lisa Makin earlier this month 

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A spokesperson for Ant and Dec told MailOnline: ‘After both feeling unwell Ant and Dec have tested for Covid and unfortunately have both tested positive. 

‘The duo will be postponing work commitments whilst they recover.’ 

The pair confirmed the news on their Instagram account, sharing a picture of their positive tests as they quipped: ‘we even get ill together!’  

Their absence at the star-studded NTAs won’t go unnoticed by viewers, who have voted for Ant and Dec to win best presenter for over two decades.

But this year This Morning host Alison Hammond, 47, is tipped to finally end their winning streak.

Loose Women’s Nadia Sawalha has also pulled out of the event due to illness and shared a video from her sickbed on Wednesday.  

Watch the National Television Awards this Thursday 13th October, Live from The OVO Arena Wembley on ITV and ITV Hub from 8pm

Oh no! Ant and Dec have pulled out of attending the National Television Awards and Britain’s Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician after being struck down with Covid, MailOnline can reveal

Oh dear: The pair confirmed the news on their Instagram account, sharing a picture of their positive tests as they quipped: ‘we even get ill together!’