Rogue TV icon Lenny Henry stole the show at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
Friday morning’s (AEST) blockbuster at Alexander Stadium celebrated the cultural achievements and diversity of host city Birmingham as athletes from around the world took to the arena.
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The show was headlined by the presence of a giant 10m tall ‘Raging Bull’ but it was a performance by local hero Henry that had many people talking.
The British actor’s light-hearted banter during the opening ceremony was one of the main talking points, although the event turned to a musical performance by British megagroup Duran Duran, who ended things with a bang .
Duran Duran hit a high note. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Given the job of master of ceremonies and introducing the athletes as they entered the stadium, Henry took a very informal approach.
“What an opening ceremony – I had the wrong kind of mushrooms on my toast this morning,” he said of the crazy art exhibition.
“We’re live from the Alexander Stadium with 30,000 people in attendance, including my brother Seymour, who’s up front.
“All your faces smile at me: black, brown, pink, white, sunburnt from last week.
“Please welcome our Commonwealth champions.”
Fans gave Henry’s loose approach a thumbs up.
Lenny Henry plays for the crowd. Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images. Source: Getty Images
Popular local comedian Joe Lycett also made a lot of noise on social media with a joke as the athletes started to enter the stadium.
“Now I’m going to do something the British government doesn’t do, welcome some foreigners,” he said.
There was plenty of colour, noise and action at Birmingham’s premier athletics stadium, prompting plenty of reaction from punters who were enjoying the ‘wild’ spectacle.
It used to be the “Raging Bull” at the center of world discussions.
The Bull Ring is a major shopping district in Birmingham, where there is also a sculpture of a bull, while the mascot of these Commonwealth Games is Perry the Bull.
Chain makers dragged the bull into the stadium, representing the chains used during the slave trade. The bull was then freed from these chains, symbolizing the abolition of the slave trade and the 1910 wage strike that paved the way for women to break free from poverty.
The bull was “tamed” by a performer and placed in the middle of the stadium, becoming a focal point of the entire ceremony.
Performers remove the head of the “Raging Bull” during the opening ceremony. (Photo by DARREN STAPLES / AFP) Source: AFP