It's that time of year again; Comic Relief's Red Nose Day telethon will be back on our screens on Friday night (March 17).
Broadcasting on BBC One and iPlayer, the event will see some famous faces take on challenges and appear in sketches all for a good cause. Presenter AJ Odudu will be joined by actor David Tennant, comedian Joel Dommett, Top Gear's Paddy McGuinness and radio DJ Zoe Ball to host the programme, live from MediaCity in Salford.
This year the fundraiser will support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health problems and food poverty. Comic Relief was co-founded by Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny Henry in 1985, building on the success of Band Aid and Live Aid. Red Nose Day used to take place once every two years, but that is no longer the case.
Off the back of Comic Relief, Sport Relief was founded and its first TV event took place in 2002. Almost a decade later in 2021, Comic Relief announced that it was changing from alternating Sport Relief and Red Nose Day campaigns to Red Nose Day becoming annual and Sport Relief evolving into a year-round brand.
This has been the case since 2021. Both charities have raised millions for good causes over the years. Here is how much each racked up during their last events.
How much did Comic Relief raise in 2022?
Alesha Dixon, David Tennant, Paddy McGuinness and Sir Lenny Henry fronted the Red Nose Day show last year. Entertainment on the night included Strictly Come Dancing champions Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernicen performing the waltz, while Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders paid a visit to Jay Blade’s Repair Shop in a never seen before sketch, featuring Dame Judi Dench.
Last year, the Red Nose Day antics raised £42,790,147, helping Comic Relief reach a special milestone. The donations meant the charity had fundraised £1.5 billion since it began.
When was the last Sport Relief and how much did it raise?
Sport Relief last took place in March 2020. It saw a whole host of challenges take place, including eight celebrities completing a 100-mile expedition across the Namib desert.
The night of TV saw Romesh Ranganathan and Andy Murray go head to head in a mini golf challenge, comedy sketches of Killing Eve and Line of Duty and even a Stranger Things special.
In total, £40,540,355 was raised.
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