Sir Lenny's shout-out to Dudley as he carries baton through Birmingham on eve of Commonwealth Games

Sir Lenny Henry was beaming with pride as he carried the Queen’s Baton through Birmingham city centre on the eve of the Commonwealth Games.

Sir Lenny Henry takes part in The Queen's Baton Relay as it visits Birmingham as part of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay on July 27 in Birmingham. Photo by Matt Keeble/Getty Images for Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay

The 63-year-old, from Dudley, carried the baton from Centenary Square to a celebration event at Victoria Square on Wednesday evening, where he was met with raucous applause.

The comedian didn't forget his hometown as he proudly said: "And a shout-out to Dudley in the West Midlands because that's where I'm from."

Sir Lenny said that carrying the Queen’s Baton on the final leg of its 294-day journey filled him with "massive pride".

The comedian, a Comic Relief founder, was chosen to be a baton-bearer to celebrate Sport Relief becoming the official charity partner of the event in the region.

During the opening ceremony at the Alexander Stadium on Thursday, Prince Charles will deliver a speech in which he will read the Queen’s message for the Commonwealth Games.

Sir Lenny Henry and Sherelle Robbins take part in The Queen's Baton Relay as it visits Birmingham as part of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay on July 27 in Birmingham. Photo by Matt Keeble/Getty Images for Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay

The Games will be the biggest sporting event in the UK since London 2012, and will see athletes from across the Commonwealth compete in 19 sports and eight para-sports, some of them in the Black Country.