Lenny Henry laughed off Louis Walsh's X Factor comments at a London event on Sunday night. Louis had compared one of the talent show's contestants - Paije Richardson - to a 'little Lenny Henry' during Saturday night's programme. The remark took Simon Cowell and show presenter Dermot O'Leary aback. But Lenny and his former wife Dawn French turned the incident into a light-hearted gag at an event in London to launch her debut novel. Lenny was in the audience for Dawn's appearance at the Old Vic Theatre and surprised guests by asking a question about the book, A Tiny Bit Marvellous, during a question and answer session. Dawn then asked: "Are you Paije from The X Factor?" Her ex, from whom she recently divorced, joked: "No, Ainsley Harriott." Dawn and comedian Sue Perkins, who was hosting the session, then humorously bemoaned the demise of TV's Ready Steady Cook.
