When was the Comic Relief charity set up and who does it help?
18.03.2022 - 11:39
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Red Nose Day is back. Comic Relief’s flagship fundraising event returns today with the aim of generating millions of pounds to help people live free of poverty, violence and discrimination.
This year’s Red Nose Day will culminate with a star-studded evening of TV live from the BBC’s base at MediaCityUK, Salford, from 7pm tonight. There will be a host of sketches, live performances and one-off comedy specials - which will run alongside videos highlighting the impact that donations have made in the UK and across the world.
The show will be hosted by Alesha Dixon, David Tennant, Zoe Ball, Paddy McGuinness and Sir Lenny Henry - while stars set to appear include French and Saunders, Jack Whitehall and Tom Daley. But if you’ve ever wondered about the history of the charity - and who it helps - then read on…
Read more: What Comic Relief sketches will air on Friday night - including Rock Profile and The Repair Shop
The charity was founded in 1985 by Notting Hill scriptwriter Richard Curtis, comedian Lenny Henry and charity worker Jane Tewson - in response to the famine in Ethiopia. The idea was that it would build on the success of Band Aid and Live Aid, only using comedy as the primary fundraising tool.
The very first Red Nose Day was in 1988 and raised £15m. Lenny Henry and Griff Rhys Jones hosted it with Jonathan Ross.
It featured a new Blackadder episode - ‘The Cavalier Years’ – and a special edition of Spitting Image that united the rubber puppets with their human counterparts. It became a biennial fixture in the schedules - taking place every other year.
The charity’s work has grown to include Sport Relief - as well as shows such as the Great Comic Relief Bake Off. In 2021, Red Nose Day raised more than £55m for charity