The total amount raised in this year’s Comic Relief fundraiser has been announced after fundraising challenges and an evening of entertainment.
Last night, Davina McCall hosted the BBC’s Red Nose Day programme with special appearances from the best of the country’s comedy, including Catherine Tate as Nan and the cast of Amandaland.
The show also featured a spoof of The Traitors titled The Traitors: The Movie – The Sequel, as well as a Luther bank heist sketch with acting icon Idris Elba.
At the end of the three-hour programme, Davina announced that the fundraiser had reached a total of £30million.
BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James raised £4million with his 630-mile tandem cycling challenge which saw him joined by Prince William for a leg of the journey.
Greg, 40, burst into tears at the finish line in after he completed his epic ride which ended in Edinburgh.
Overcome with emotion, he said: ‘I can’t believe it’s done! I couldn’t see, I just kept bursting into tears at everyone I saw. Please, let me get off this bike.’
The 40-year-old’s dad is currently ill in hospital after suffering a stroke – the presenter admitted in a video on Instagram that he’d been having a hard time, but was determined to complete the challenge.
Other celebrities got involved with the Comic Relief cause, though in slightly less gruelling ways.
Sir Ian McKellen, Daniel Craig and Julia Roberts made cameos responding via video to Nan’s request to come on the show. Olivia Dean appeared, telling the iconic character: ‘You’re not the nan I need.’
Other skits included a Weakest Link special from Romesh Ranganathan and Katherine Ryan in a parody of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights.
A highlight for Matthew Rimmer on X was the Amandaland sketch which he called ‘genius’.
In the Red Nose Day spin-off, Amanda (Lucy Punch) gets invited to the BBC for a radio appearance only to meet an array of other Amandas who, in a slip-up from a producer, have also been asked on.
@Scousegrrl on X appeared to enjoy it all, and called it ‘the best show they’ve done in years.’
Harry The Whovian agreed and wrote: ‘Catherine Tate ALWAYS brings the vibes.’
Others, like @joshpearson180, let it pass them by.
‘It used to be such a huge event when I was growing up, what happened?’, he noted.
Figures reported by Super TV would appear to back this up. The data (which is yet to be sourced) shows only 2million people tuned in, claiming to record ‘the events’ lowest ever viewership’.
Tracey Davies went on the social media platform to tell her followers she wouldn’t be watching the show, because ‘all the good bits appear on here anyway’.
The funds raised supports programmes tackling social injustice and poverty in the UK and around the world.
Comic Relief is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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