ongratulations to Comic Relief, which raised more than £78million by the end of its live show, pushing its total donations during its 30-year run over £1billion. Its causes are noble, generating money that will go to charities in both Africa and Britain. In one very moving video shown during the show, a woman with Alzheimer’s disease was reminded by her daughter that her husband had passed away. Among other things, Comic Relief works with groups seeking to give a voice to those with dementia, trying to raise awareness of how to make life more comfortable for them.

The BBC sometimes gets things wrong, and there are concerns about the way it works; some of those concerns are explored by Janet Daley on the opposite page. Nevertheless, since it started in 1985, Comic Relief has grown into an admirable institution that has helped people across the globe. It is a genuine and rewarding example of television pursuing a public service.

Of course, the funds that it generates are not just down to Bake Off specials or emotional editions of Strictly Come Dancing. They are most of all a tribute to the generosity of the British public. During Comic Relief, this takes a slightly anarchic turn as office workers dress up and run kiss-athons, or children badger their parents for every penny they can possibly donate. But running through it all is the spirit that also displays itself during the poppy appeal or the Telegraph’s Christmas charity drive: the willingness to help others less fortunate than oneself.