The final Comic Relief 2023 figure has been published, and it is a whopping £31,952,141!
For the first time in the show’s history, Red Nose Day was presented without Sir Lenny Henry.
Instead, Doctor Who actor David Tennant and hosts AJ Odudu and Joel Dommett started off the three-hour live event.
Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball afterwards took over the hijinks.
The annual fundraising event, which aired from Salford’s MediaCity on BBC One, included a slew of comedy and performances for good causes, and had collected £19 million by the half-way mark.
Zara Larsson joined the stage to perform Can’t Tame Her, while B*Witched also performed C’est La Vie, a fan favourite.
The Traitors returned for a celebrity round in sketches, with stars such as Alison Hammond, Dame Mary Berry, Dawn French, and, of course, Claudia Winkleman donning the renowned cloaks around the tables.
Baldrick also made a reappearance, with Sir Tony Robinson resuming his role from Black Adder after a 20-year absence.
The resurrection astonished viewers when the actor read out a CBeebies bedtime story in his ragged garb.
In other news, pop diva Kylie Minogue appeared in a comedy with the actors of the BBC series Ghosts.
Tanya Moodie’s character as the singer and her live agent arrived at the haunted Button House to investigate if it was a suitable performance site, startling the ghostly residents.
Before the pint-sized singer announced she could see the spirits, ghosts flocked around her, calling her as ‘lovely as her poetry’ and ‘quite wonderful’.
There was also a surprise appearance by Jason Donovan from Neighbours!
Broadcaster Gethin Jones also grew upset upon realising he had raised £1,192,298 following his 24-hour dance challenge.
The emotional 45-year-old, who completed the Gethin Keeps Dancing challenge, said: ‘Everything is stinging, I haven’t been able to touch my toes since 2am. It’s been an epic effort. What really kept us going was the donations.’
Meanwhile, a slew of renowned people emerged in an unseen Eurovision audition tapes spoof.
The judging panel for the sketch included chat show host Graham Norton, Eurovision winner Lulu, and 2022 Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder, who FaceTimed Abba singer and Eurovision winner Bjorn Ulvaeus.
Before Ed Sheeran appeared at the end, everyone from Fleur East to Jamie Dornan, and Gordon Ramsay to David Walliams, auditioned in the hopes of representing the United Kingdom in the competition.
Back in the studio, the cast of Mrs Doubtfire The Musical sang Make Me A Woman from the new stage play for the first time in the UK, which got the crowd on their feet.
Clive Myrie, Kay Burley, Huw Edwards, and Naga Munchetty, as well as Susanna Reid, Piers Morgan, and Richard Madeley, starred in a sketch in which the UK’s most serious individuals told jokes.
Comedy Relief Red Nose Day is a UK charity that works for a ‘fair society, free from poverty’ and was co-founded by Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny in 1985.
This year’s fundraising will help those affected by the cost-of-living crisis, as well as address concerns such as homelessness, mental health challenges, and food insecurity.
Source My Celebrity Life.