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This Red Nose Day the nation has come together to raise life changing amounts of money for people needing help in the UK and around the world.
The brilliant British public have, once again, shown phenomenal generosity with the current Red Nose Day 2019 total standing at an incredible £63,548,668 (so far). The total so far was revealed at the end of a mammoth night of live comedy, sketches, music acts, appeal films and much more broadcast on BBC One. This brings the total raised by Comic Relief since it began in 1985 to over £1.3 billion.
There have been celebrity challenges, emotional reunions, money-can’t-buy experiences, culminating in a huge night of comedy and entertainment live on the BBC and so much more. Highlights from this year’s Red Nose Day include:
Nine famous faces pushed themselves to their physical and emotional limits in a valiant effort to climb 19,000 feet up Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. Strictly Come Dancing Head Judge Shirley Ballas; former MP Ed Balls; broadcaster Anita Rani; Love Island’s Dani Dyer; Pointless host Alexander Armstrong; BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker; BBC NFL pundit Osi Umenyiora; and Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock shared tents, laughs and tears during the eight-day trek.
Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly took on the longest ever Danceathon at the BBC Radio 2 studios.
One Red Nose Day and a Wedding reunited the cast of Four Weddings and a Funeral for the first time in 25 years.
A bigger line-up than ever before for the Night of TV. Bodyguard was back on the screen with David Budd taking on a very special assignment, Jennifer Saunders’ dance moves and Philip Glenister’s vocal prowess returned with Mamma Mia Here We Go Again!, award-winning music acts took to the stage including Emeli Sandé and Keane, Alan Partridge did his bit to raise money, University Challenge got a celebrity take over, and even the cast of Only Fools and Horses the musical joined in the fun.
Scott Mills and Chris Stark invited a whole host of celebrity guests to the studio to get involved with Radio 1’s 24-hour LOL-a-thon – even David Beckham shared his favourite joke!
10 celebrities attempted to impress Lord Sugar with their event organising and business acumen in Comic Relief Does The Apprentice.
11 new noses made an appearance. Nine Red Noses, a rare green one, and an even rarer white nose designed by a UK school pupil.
One Toy Story fan had an unbelievable once in a lifetime opportunity to win a part as one of three characters in the latest instalment.
The first ever Comic Relief Spectacular took place with the biggest names in comedy joining forces for a special one-off event at The SSE Arena including the likes of Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett, Katherine Ryan, Russell Howard and Nina Conti.
Alan Carr’s voice greeted shoppers at selected Sainsbury’s checkouts across the country.
British Airways unveiled an aircraft wearing a red nose of its own.
Eddie Redmayne, Keira Knightley, Amanda Seyfried, Chiwetel Ejiofor among others supported the fabulous Disney T-shirt range from TK Maxx.
Some of the nation’s favourite YouTubers came together for a special Red Nose Day pre-show streamed live online.
Around the UK many dance activities – from a Comic Conga line in Bristol to Dancing Drag Queens in Birmingham to Welsh and Irish dance groups performing at Cardiff Castle, a tea dance hosted by a school in Scotland, and even a Gallopathon event with hundreds of people dressing up and galloping around Chelmsford racecourse in Essex.
All this has happened for Comic Relief where half the money raised will go to projects right here in the UK and half supports projects abroad - giving vulnerable and disadvantaged people a chance to turn their lives around.
We only spend funds on the things we passionately believe in – mental health, helping children survive and thrive, finding everyone a safe place to live and, gender equality and empowering women and girls. The money raised this Red Nose Day will build on the progress that Comic Relief has helped to make happen thanks to the public’s enduring support, including:
Helping 14.4 million people in need across the UK since Comic Relief began;
Helping 13.8 million people internationally since last Red Nose Day;
Helping 443,000 vulnerable children and young people in the UK since last Red Nose Day.
Comic Relief CEO, Liz Warner, said: ‘We never take this for granted and we are thrilled and astounded by the generosity of the British public this year. We are humbled by the support of each and every person who did their bit for this Red Nose Day.
'Thank you to all those across the nation to the wonderful inventive and creative fundraisers in schools, those who go the extra mile making money in their workplaces and the remarkable people who commit to us in their local communities. We thank everyone who came together to make a difference. The money you have raised will help to change countless lives.’
And we can’t do this without the vast line up of varied talent who give their time, their writing, acting, dancing, climbing skills - who go to extraordinary lengths - to make Red Nose Day a unique national event.
Night of TV presenter, Romesh Ranganathan said: ‘Thank you to everyone who has helped to raise this incredible total for Red Nose Day. I grew up watching the Night of TV as a huge comedy fan and it instilled in so many people in this country the need to help people who are less fortunate, and to do it in that most British of ways: with humour. The public’s response has been amazing and it’s been great to be involved’.
None of this would have been possible without the incredible efforts of Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day partners including, Sainsbury’s who raised an outstanding £11,010,398, TK Maxx raising a grand total of £4,087,496 and British Airways who also raised £3,292,535 amongst many other extremely supportive companies, and of course the BBC for their continuous support of our campaigns.
Comic Relief’s work right here in the UK and across the world has been given a huge boost thanks to the millions of pounds donated by various trusts and institutional funding partners. They are, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who have matched £7,542,580 of Red Nose Day donations to support family planning work and the Global Fund to accelerate the end of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; GSK who have donated £3.4million for the fight against malaria; The British government who, through UK aid, matched £2million of public donations to support people with mental health conditions in Africa; and Jersey Overseas Aid who have donated £1million for financial inclusion programmes.
hanks also goes to the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the Clothworkers’ Foundation for their grants of £400,000 and £200,000 respectively, towards the Tech vs Abuse programme; and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for their grant of £400,000 to support more Tech for Good projects across the UK.
Viewers can catch up on all the best bits in a special highlights show presented by Emma Willis on Sunday 17 March at 5.35pm on BBC One.
For more information and to show your support visit www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday. You can donate via text; to donate £10 text ‘YES’ to 70210, to donate £20 text ‘YES’ to 70220, to donate £30 text ‘YES’ to 70230. Alternatively, you can donate by phone on 03457 910 910 or online at www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday.
ENDS
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Comic Relief Media Team:
T: 020 7820 2500 E: media@comicrelief.com www.comicrelief.com/media-centre
Out of hours: 079 8451 0473
Notes to editors
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity with a simple purpose - to create a just world, free from poverty. Comic Relief does this by funding and investing in amazing organisations across the UK and around the world to tackle some of the key issues of our time. Since 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1.3 billion. That money has helped, and is helping, to improve countless lives.
For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com
Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)
All Comic Relief shows including The Bigger Red Nose Climb and Celebrity Apprentice for Comic Relief.
