Sir Lenny Henry reflected on the pain of his mother dying while he was in Australia for a tour as he spoke to Alison Hammond for the latest episode of her Big Weekend series on the BBC on Friday, 13 June.
The comedian, 66, shared that in 1998, his mother Winifred had been unwell, prompting him to ask a doctor whether he should go on tour or not.
Two days after he arrived in Australia, he received a phone call saying his mother had died, Sir Lenny explained.
“It was awful. I felt awful. I should have just stayed,” Sir Lenny said, adding that he had grief counselling afterwards.