Charity capers are a Comic Relief
Irish comedians have contributed to some of Comic Relief’s funniest moments so it’s about time we had our own concert to chuckle at
GIVEN the day that’s in it, there will be revelry galore across the country. And a pantheon of comedy stars will take to the 3Arena stage in aid of Comic Relief to ensure a particularly raucous night.
The laughs will come thick and fast thanks to Tommy Tiernan, Dara O’Briain, Ardal O’Hanlon, Jason Byrne, Abandoman, Des Bishop, Bernard O’Shea and Ed Byrne. Also rounding out the mega line-up for ‘Green Nose Day’ will be David O’Doherty, Panti Bliss, Alison Spittle, PJ Gallagher and Al Porter.
O’Kane spearheaded the plan to create the Comic Relief event, and intends to raise funds for a variety of homegrown and international causes in association with Comic Relief.
For as long as we can remember, comedy and charity have made for cosy bedfellows, and Comic Relief – created by Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis — has raised in excess of £1bn (€1.14bn) since its first event on Christmas Day, 1985.
In its three-decade history, there have been plenty of unforgettable moments, and Irish comedy stars have long been part of the action, too. In fact, we’ve caused so many splashes on Red Nose Day (literally, in Dara O’Briain’s case), that it’s high time we had a celebratory shindig of our own. From the annals of Comic Relief history, here’s a retro rundown of the good, the bad and the downright crazy…
1. Dara O’Briain ends up down the river (2013)
DARA O’BRIAIN has long been able for the slings and arrows of the cutthroat showbiz world, but a Comic Relief charity challenge saw him really land in hot water. Taking to the rapids Zambezi River in Zambia, he fought off crocodiles and nearly gave up after an hour clinging to a tree stump after falling out of his raft. O’Briain and his rowing partner, Olympic athlete Phillips Idowu, lost their paddles the comedian tumbled out of the vessel, only to be rescued by guides an hour later. Admitting that the whole episode was a little unnerving, O’Brian said at the time that he ‘wasn’t in a rush” to get back in to the water’’. Quite the understatement.
2. Patrick Kielty does 1D (2015)
IF IMITATION is the sincerest form of flattery, it would be interesting to see what the famed boyband One Direction made of Jack Dee, Johnny Vegas and Patrick Kielty impersonating them. In a bid to drum up donations, Jack Dee played Louis Tomlinson, Nick Helm morphed into Zayn Malik, Vic Reeves took on Harry Styles and Johnny Vegas transformed into Liam Payne. Kielty, meanwhile, aped fellow Irishman Niall Horan and the likeness was, suffice to say, uncanny.
3. Kylie gets spurned (1997)
ANY viewer of Men Behaving Badly will no doubt recall that Gary and Tony weren’t backward in coming forward with their love of Kylie Minogue. And finally, the pair get to meet her for the first time. Alas, neither recognised the tiny pop princess when she shows up on Tony’s doorstep; in fact, they’re pretty quick to turn on her when poor Kylie dings Tony’s van.
4. Posh & Becks meet their match (2001)
BY 2001, Posh & Becks were the most famous and elusive couple in the land, and they showed that they were game for a laugh when Comic Relief organisers unleashed the famously tricky interviewer Ali G on them. True to form, Ali G – played by Sacha Baron Cohen – didn’t pull any punches; credit where it’s due, the Beckhams managed to keep smiles on their faces as they were mercilessly lampooned. That’s right, Victoria Beckham is on recording as having once cracked a smile.
5. Elton John meets Little Britain (2005)
WHICHEVER mastermind decided to put Dafydd, the only gay in the village, and Elton John in a room together deserves a raise. Holed up in the Ritz, Dafydd is doing a piece for the local paper, and it doesn’t take long for the double entendres to start flying. ‘Do you enjoy filling Celine Dion’s slot in Las Vegas?’ asks Dafydd as Elton sees the funny side.
6. Boyzone cover Billy Ocean (1999)
FOR THE 1999 telethon, Boyzone did a cover of the Billy Ocean’s ‘When The Going Gets Tough (The Tough Get Going)’, and it landed the boyband yet another Number 1 in the UK and Irish singles charts. The video for the song was a thing to behold featuring a cast that included Jo Brand, Davina McCall, Harry Hill, Graham Norton and… Mystic Meg.
7. Graham Norton hosts Blind Date (2005)
BLIND DATE had left us for that great big TV studio in the sky by 2003, but Graham Norton revived the show for one night only in 2005, bringing with him a starry set of suitors. Only two years previously, Norton had proven his chops as one of the Comic Relief hosts, more than holding his own against Jonathan Ross and Lenny Henry. In fact, the Cork-born funnyman was the perfect master of ceremonies on the occasion as he hilariously tried to set comedian Jimmy Carr, actor Nigel Harman and fellow funnyman Jack Dee up with a potential paramour.
8. Father Ted & Dougal do penance (1997)
THE 12TH ANNUAL Comic Relief saw Ted Crilly (the late Dermot Morgan) and Dougal McGuire (Aral O’Hanlon) in the presenting seat. Ted seemed confused that the BBC would hire two men of the collar to take the reins of such an important event. And for once, Dougal is the seat of reason, pointing out that it could be a form of penance for his misdemeanour involving some missing money. Penance or not, they brought the house down.
9. Johnny Depp on The Vicar Of Dibley (1999)
WHO CAN forget the moment where Dawn French got to have an almighty flirt with the chiselled star? Johnny ‘please use your scissorhands to snip my pants off’ Depp (her words, not ours) met his match in the Vicar Geraldine when his latest production landed into the sleepy hamlet of Dibley.
10. Dawn French snogs Hugh Grant (1995)
SOME time before she got to flirt with Johnny Depp, Dawn French
managed to land a smacker on Hugh Grant. Dawn was wearing her own version of the Gucci safety pin dress that made Liz Hurley an overnight sensation.
11. One Direction cover The Undertones (2013)
FOR 2013’S Comic Relief shindig, One Direction – still happily together back then – recorded the official single: a mash-up of Blondie’s One Way Or Another, and the Undertones’ Teenage Kicks. It was a divine — if unlikely — meeting of Irish musical talent and the resulting tune isn’t half bad, either.
12. Bob Geldof and Bono join Jamie Oliver (2007)
WHEN Ricky Gervais launches an appeal video, the word sits up and takes notice, even when said video is a spoof designed to take a self-deprecating pot shot at the whole fundraising effort. Proving they’re not above taking the mick out of their particularly charitable selves, Live 8 kings Bono and Bob Geldof also made an appearance.
13. Terry Wogan’s debut (1989)
THE late Terry Wogan had helmed another of the BBC’s charity telethons — Children In Need — for over 35 years, until ill health forced him to retire from the gig in 2015. Still, he will also be remembered for launching the second ever Red Nose Day in 1989, alongside Lenny Henry, Griff Rhys Jones and a surprisingly fresh-faced Jonathan Ross. The Limerick man’s own show,
14. Ed Byrne gets his bake on (2015)
COMIC Relief has always had a long tradition of aping the biggest shows around, and in 2015, it was the turn of behemoth The Great British Bake Off. For The Great Comic Relief Bake Off, regular hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins were joined by Jo Brand and Dubliner Ed Byrne. The late Victoria Wood emerged triumphant when she rustled up crumpets, a tray bake and a Vegetable Self Portrait Cake.
15. Graham Norton meets Borat (2009)
GRAHAM NORTON is one of our greatest interviewers, but when he spoke to the Kazakhstani personality, he certainly earned his stripes. Even by Norton’s standards, things got pretty outrageous. Still, he did learn an awful lot about Kazakhstan for his troubles.
16. Torvill and Bean (1995)
ONLY Bean could take his date to an ice rink, and somehow end up slap bang in the middle of the action. Jane Torvill is used to having fellow Olympian Christopher Dean as her rink partner, but she somehow ended up with the bungling Bean (Rowan Atkinson) in a brilliant two-hander.
17. Uptown Downstairs Abbey (2011)
PARODYING the hit show that follows the lives of the aristocracy and their help, Uptown Downstairs Abbey starred Kim Cattrall, Olivia Colman, Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley in place of the series’ usual stars.
18. French & Saunders Do Harry Potter (2003)
THE WILY comedy duo turned their attention to the smash hit film, and came up with their own instalment: Harry Potter & The Secret Chamberpot of Azerbijan. Dawn French starred as Harry, Saunders played Ron Weasley (and JK Rowling), while Miranda Richardson turned in a classic performance as Hermione.
19. Tony Blair meets Catherine Tate (2007)
COMIC RELIEF has never been short of high-profile cameos, but event organisers really did outdo themselves when they managed to book the then-Prime Minister Tony Blair. Here, stroppy teenager Lauren Cooper manages to land a stint of work experience at 10 Downing Street, but somehow manages to rub the gaffer up the wrong way.
20. Simon Cowell marries David Walliams (2013)
SIMON Cowell is finally ready to walk up the aisle, but no-one could have foreseen a situation where David Walliams shows up in a wedding dress during the ceremony, confessing that he’s infatuated with ‘my Simon’. Sure enough, it’s a ‘no’ from the X Factor judge.