With Sport Relief taking a year off, it means that once again it’s time for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day and here’s a first look at what you can come to expect from the fundraising spectacular on Friday 24th March.
On the big night itself, Graham Norton will welcome a gaggle of guests to a ludicrously long super-sized sofa, Mrs Brown will be on hand to add just a ‘touch’ of chaos to the night’s proceedings, Vic and Bob will not only be bringing back classic characters The Stotts but will also be helping out backstage and for the first time since 2003, Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips will reunite to perform a series of sketches from the popular comedy show Smack The Pony.
There’ll also be special treats from the likes of Alan Partridge, whilst Johnny Vegas and Joe Lycett will be donning their aprons and running a popular pizza restaurant on site at The O2 throughout the live night. Greg Davies will even be hosting a special segment over on BBC Two from a very unique location – all will be revealed, quite literally, from 10pm in Greg Davies’ Hot Tub Half Hour.
Elsewhere, Kurupt FM record a special single with Ed Sheeran in a People Just Do Nothing special, David Walliams will come face to face with his nemesis, Jeremy Kyle, in a special Middle Class Jeremy Kyle Sketch sketch from Walliams & Friend and James Corden returns to the UK for a special Carpool Karaoke sketch with Take That.
We’ve also been promised a whole heap of titillating telly treats as a host of comic favourites including Sir Lenny Henry, Joe Lycett, Miranda Hart, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Warwick Davis, Sally Phillips, Greg Davies, Jonathan Ross and French & Saunders preside over a mammoth night of live comedy, sketches, music moments, fundraising films and much more.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, a 10-minute short film, Red Nose Day Actually will revisit the characters of Love Actually to discover what they’re up to in 2017. Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rowan Atkinson are amongst the original Love Actually cast reuniting.
And finally, there's the Red Nose Convoy, which will see three pairs of celebrities get behind the wheel for an African road trip like no other. Reggie Yates, Michaela Coel, Russell Kane, Hugh Dennis, David Baddiel and Katy Brand are swapping their home comforts for life on the road as they make their way from Kenya to Uganda, delivering crucial supplies to Comic Relief funded projects en route.
Travelling in convoy, the famous six want to see for themselves how Comic Relief cash is hard at work improving access to essential healthcare in some of Africa’s poorest communities. Here’s a first look at the big night including the team who took part in the Red Nose Convoy...
Elsewhere, Peter Kay will be giving viewers an exclusive preview of the second series of Car Share and will be sharing exciting news about how Comic Relief will benefit from the new series, Philomena Cunk delivers a special Moment Of Wonder focusing on charity. Starring Diane Morgan and featuring Richard Curtis, Matt Berry voices an appeal film and meet’s Clem Fandango’s half-brother, who looks strangely familiar and This Country, The hottest new comedy on BBC Three will take a special look at Comic Relief through the eyes of Kerry and Kurtan Mucklowe.