RAIS WE’LL E

Awe-inspiring sporting feats, silliness galore... and Kylie getting ghosted. It’s time to chuckle for charity with Comic Relief

Rose Aylingellis back on the dancefloor, Tom Daley pedalling towards Plymouth, Jordan North rowing to Burnley – and French and Saunders causing mayhem. That’s a taster of what’s in store for Comic Relief as big names of showbusiness and sport step out of their comfort zones for the event that’s been raising money for good causes since 1985.

During Friday’s main telethon on BBC1 – hosted by Alesha Dixon, David Tennant, Zoe Ball, Paddy Mcguinness and Sir Lenny Henry – Kylie Minogue will visit Button House from hit sitcom Ghosts and encounter the resident spirits; Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders plan to sneak into the Repair Shop barn, blag a free fix – and test the patience of expert teddy-bear repairers Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell; and 2021 Strictly champion Rose Ayling-ellis will reunite with Giovanni Pernice to reprise their memorable waltz to Ellie Goulding’s How Long Will I Love You?.

Ahead of the main event, on Monday we’ll see Olympic diver Tom Daley row, cycle, swim and run his way 290 miles from London to his hometown of Plymouth. ‘It was one of the toughest challenges of my life,’ says Tom. ‘Swimming in ice-cold water and rowing on the choppy Thames were especially difficult, but worth it if it generates lots of donations.’

Radio 1 DJ Jordan North is aiming to row 100 miles along canals between London and his hometown of Burnley in a show on Tuesday. Talking about his training regime for the challenge, Jordan admitted, ‘I learnt the hard way that you can do a radio show hungover but you can’t afford to 1

Celebrity Mastermind, tonight, 6.30pm, BBC1

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What ‘Z’ is the one-word name of the actress who have a hangover rowing on the Thames on a Monday morning!’

On Wednesday Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden, barrister Robert Rinder, Steps’ Claire Richards and ex-boxer Ricky Hatton all claim to own a posh property in a special edition of This Is My House; the judges including Claudia Winkleman and Harry Hill have to work out which of them is

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Truth or lie: the centre of a tennis net is 3ft high? Bridge Of Lies, Monday, 4.30pm, BBC1

telling the truth. Finally, after the main Red Nose Day show on Friday, comes The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon, when viewers can win prizes such as Glastonbury tickets.

Sir Lenny hopes the public will be generous and donate to organisations tackling homelessness, hunger, domestic abuse and mental health issues. ‘I’ve been involved with Comic Relief for over 30 years,’ he says, ‘and my favourite moment was when we passed the £1 billion-raised mark in 2015 – that was a proud milestone. Here’s to many more!’

Tim Oglethorpe Comic Relief, Friday, 7pm, BBC1. Tom Daley’s Hell Of A Homecoming, Monday, 9pm, BBC1. Rowing Home With Jordan North, Tuesday, 8.30pm, BBC3. This Is My House For Red Nose Day, Wednesday, 8pm, BBC1.

Sir Lenny Henry with his fellow Comic Relief presenters (from left) Paddy Mcguinness, Zoe Ball, David Tennant and Alesha Dixon

Members of which Himalayan people, with a name derived from the Tibetan for ‘Easterner’, often act as mountain guides?

plays Anne Wheeler in The Greatest Showman film? Lightning, Monday-thursday, 6.30pm, BBC2