Solihull Chamber announces 2023 awards host

Solihull Chamber of Commerce has announced that television actor Des Coleman will be this year’s host of the Solihull Awards 2023, taking place on 20 October 2023 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.

Des (pictured) is a winner of a BAFTA with Eastenders, has been nominated for ‘Best Actor’ at the Santa Monica Film Festival and 5-time Royal Television Society nominee, winning in 2009 and 2017, giving recognition to a career spanning Film, Theatre and Television.

Des has appeared on numerous TV shows but it was his four-year portrayal as lovable rogue Lenny Wallace in EastEnders that would establish him.

His film work includes ‘Is Harry on the Boat’ which was turned into a series for Sky, the wartime drama Submerged and Simple. Des has played lead roles in West End productions such as Miss Saigon, Simply Heavenly, Rent and Porgy and Bess.

After joining the BBC, he spent 10 years working on East Midlands Today, Inside Out, The politics show and became the entertainments reporter for The One Show. Through the BBC he trained at the Meteorological Office winning a new army of fans and his first Royal Television Society Award and, after joining ITV he won his second. 

Des said: “Hosting the Solihull Chamber of Commerce awards is going to be so much fun; I can’t wait.”