THE PICK OF RED NOSE DAY
Marion McMullen looks at the fundraising highlights as celebrities gear up to raise cash ahead of Comic Relief 2019
1 AB FAB’S Joanna Lumley, left, Susanna Reid and Cold Feet’s Fay Ripley are among stars who’ve been modelling Disney-themed Red Nose Day aprons. The aprons feature characters such as Mickey Mouse and Goofy and are being sold by Homesense, part of the TK Maxx family. At least £5 of the £12 price for an adult apron will go to the charity. The special range also includes tea towels, notebooks, water bottles, bags and T-shirts.
2 CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN, Tess Daly and Mary Berry, all inset, will join Jamie Oliver and the Strictly cast to take on a 24-hour dance challenge.
The Strictly hosts have pledged to “keep dancing” for the longest danceathon in Red Nose Day history. Claudia joked: “Mary Berry is coming, with cake I hope.”
3 PREPARE for One Red Nose Day And A Wedding, as original cast members of Four Weddings And A Funeral – including Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell and Rowan Atkinson – reunite for the first time in 25 years in a short film. Richard Curtis, who wrote the original movie and is the co-founder of Red Nose Day, has written the script.
4 FORMER shadow chancellor Ed Balls will join celebrities such as Love Island’s Dani Dyer, Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Strictly judge Shirley Ballas and Alexander Armstrong to climb Mount Kilimanjaro’s 19,000ft peak. The trek takes place 10 years after the original climb led by Gary Barlow, which raised £1.5 million.
5 THE Bodyguard’s Richard Madden, below, has been tasked with a new VIP security mission. The actor is returning as David Budd to protect the Red Nose during the Comic Relief charity special on the BBC. The Bodyguard was a ratings juggernaut and Richard won a Golden Globe for his superb performance.
6 CBEEBIES superstar Mr Tumble will front a campaign in support of Red Nose Day, offering his free fundraising packs to nurseries across the UK to inspire children of all ages to get involved.
The Something Special packs include everything you need to host your own Tumble-tastic fundraising party and can be ordered from the Comic Relief website.
7 A ONE-OFF comedy gig takes place at The SSE Arena, Wembley on February 28. The line up includes Russell Howard, Jimmy Carr, Katherine Ryan and Allan Carr. Ticket sale profits go to Comic Relief. Russell Howard says: “In 2017, I travelled to Liberia where I saw how Comic Relief cash was making a difference to lives – it was an eye-opener.”
8 JIMMY CARR has been highlighting the new red noses people can buy this year. There are nine to choose from, a rare green one and an even rarer white one. Featuring names like Conk Jester, The Gnose, Hairy Nostoll, Honkus Ponkus, Nosediva, Abominable Snoseman, Hoppy Hotter and Transforminos, you can find them at Sainsbury’s, Oxfam and comicrelief. com/shop.
9 EDINBURGH’S famous Greyfriars Bobby statue, below, sported a red nose this month as Sainsbury’s marked its 20th year as an official partner of Comic Relief. Giant noses have popped up all across the country at sites such as Blackpool Tower and outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
10 RED NOSE DAY 2019 takes place on March 15. There will be a whole host of personalities bringing their talents to the night, with the likes of Emma Willis, Paddy McGuiness, Alesha Dixon, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett and Sir Lenny Henry all confirmed as hosts of the show. Go to comicrelief.com for more details on how to help this great cause.