FROM THE HEART COMIC RELIEF LAUGHS WAY TO £1BN
IT IS a television extravaganza known for both laughter and tears with its emotional tales of the human spirit at its finest.
But there was extra cause to smile yesterday after it was confirmed that Comic Relief had hit the £1billion mark, as the £78million raised on Friday night – a record for the event – had taken its 30-year total into 10 figures.
Even by Comic Relief standards, this year’s Red Nose Day was a celebrity-filled affair. Among the highlights were physicist Stephen Hawking’s appearance in a Little Britain sketch which saw regular character Lou, played by David Walliams, take on a new role as Hawking’s carer at Cambridge.
Walliams was a consistent presence during the evening, breaking the world record for the most kisses in 30 seconds. The actor, who has recently separated from his wife, model Lara Stone, managed 55.
Other highlights included Rowan Atkinson — soon to begin filming a revival of the classic series Maigret for ITV — revisiting Mr Bean; a special episode of The Vicar of Dibley which saw Dawn French’s jovial cleric compete for a position as bishop against Harry Potter actress Emma Watson and also Maureen Lipman plus a spoof documentary about James Bond actor Daniel Craig, in which the actor was “revealed” to have been dubbed for the film franchise by camp comic Alan Carr.
Other events taking place across the day included Dermot O’Leary’s danceathon, in which The X Factor presenter danced non-stop for 24 hours. Cossacks and flamenco dancers were among the professionals joining in to lend their support.
But if one thing was clear about this year’s event, it was Britain’s ability to make powerful television. This was encapsulated by The People’s Strictly, a spin-off from Strictly Come Dancing, in which noncelebrities were invited to take to the floor. The winner was a former soldier, Cassidy Little, who lost his right leg below the knee during a tour of Afghanistan in 2011.
In an emotional scene, Mr Little, 33, who has counselled many war veterans, thanked his wife and family for their support.
To donate to Comic Relief, visit rednoseday.com or call 03457 910910.