Comic Relief’s annual Red Nose Day has concluded with a remarkable achievement, raising an impressive £38,631,548. This figure surpasses last year’s total, even in challenging economic times, the British public is still more than willing to help out in the cause.
Farewell to Sir Lenny Henry
This year’s event marked a poignant moment as Sir Lenny Henry bid farewell as the frontman for the fundraising drive he co-founded. Sir Lenny expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support and generosity of the public, stating,
Tonight was a red hot, super duper, magical night on so many levels and jam packed with surprises that I honestly would never have thought possible.
For his efforts there were numerous sketches with him as a highlight, most notable one is the their reunion sketch with the W1A cast!
It has been 7 years since the sitcom ended and they didn’t bring just the cast they brought in a lot of guest stars from Lorraine Kelly, Chesney Hawkes, Sir Mo Farah, Romesh Ragnathan, Tom Davis, Rusie Lee, and much more!
During the show a host of people came out to greet Henry , but these guys were special, everyone benefitted from Comic Relief throughout the 39 years they’ve aired. They came out to greet the host in what turned out to be a special and wholesome moment.
Of course, you can’t end a legendary run with just a show, Sir Lenny Henry also sang his heart out with a rendition of ‘I’m Just Ken’ from the Barbie appropriately titled, ‘I’m just Len’.
We all share that fundamental belief in helping others, it’s a common thread that unites us and remains as strong now as it did when we started Red Nose Day back in 1988. We are all neighbours, and we need to keep looking out for each other. From the bottom of my Red Nose-shaped heart, thank you.
Sketches with The Stars
The sketches involved spoofs and even individual bits! One sketch involved a spoof movie version of ‘The Traitors’ involving Jonathan Bailey, Asim Chaudhry, Suranne Jones, Catherine Tate, , Sally Phillips, Iain Stirling, and more.
Alan Partridge made a comeback as Sidekick Simon (Tim Key), while Jamie Dornan brought back his legendary Mastermind chair character Elliott Stanley. Stanley was being questioned by Clive Myrie but was unable to recall anything.
Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Liam Neeson, and Olivia Colman were among the celebrities who gathered to debate who should be dubbed the most well-known face.
Even Greg Davies, got his own skit with where he auditioned and went his greatest nemesis, schoolchildren. Lastly, we’ve got a Bedtime story corner by Kate Winslet, but this time aimed at the parents with “F**k, Now There Are Two of You”.
Gratitude from Hosts and Executives
David Tennant, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Maya Jama, Paddy McGuinness, Romesh Ranganathan, and Rosie Ramsey co-hosted this evening.
McCall said,
Things are tough for so many people, so to have raised over £38.6million is nothing short of amazing. Whatever you’ve been able to give tonight, big or small, know that you have played a huge part in helping to change lives. Thank you, thank you so, so much.
While chief executive Samir Patel added on to their appreciation with,
We owe a great debt of gratitude to the truly incredible British public, and our partners who have once again gone to inspiring lengths to raise an extraordinary amount of money… With so many people struggling, and with millions impacted by poverty and injustice, the money raised this Red Nose Day will make a life-changing difference to so many people here in the UK and around the world.
Comedy for a Cause
Aisling Bea, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Joel Dommett, Sir Lenny Henry, Mawaan Rizwan, Rosie Jones, and Sara Pascoe commandeered The London Palladium for a benefit gig in addition to fundraising to Comic Relief.
The event ended with a heartfelt goodbye from Sir Lenny Henry, who after hosting for 39 years said,
I’m actually speechless thank you all so much and thank you, never give up caring or giving, I send my love to all of you, you have been brilliant goodnight.
We love ALL things comedy especially if all those laughs are going towards a good cause! If Comic Relief wasn’t enough to satisfy your comedy appetite then step right in to one of the best comedy clubs in London, Big Belly Comedy Club! We’ve got great comedy shows lined-up for you 7 nights a week!
