A fundraiser from Putney stars alongside a host of famous faces in a brand-new sketch released today to mark the launch of Red Nose Day 2022, which returns on Friday 18th March.
In the exclusive new online sketch, viewers will see Sir Lenny Henry set out to make an inspirational movie about the wonderful people who make Red Nose Day so special, the amazing fundraisers up and down the country, but word gets out to some of Comic Relief’s well-known friends and the audition tapes start rolling in.
Those who feature in the sketch hoping to bag themselves a role in the new movie include London favourites Jamie Demetriou and Jamie Laing.
Dame Joanna Lumley, Ellie Taylor, Harry Judd, Hugh Bonneville, Jamie Laing, Jayde Adams, Mr Blobby, Oti Mabuse, Phil Wang, Riyadh Khalaf, Rosie Jones and Vick Hope also feature. Unfortunately, to Sir Lenny’s dismay, they all take their audition a little too far…
Voiced by Graham Norton, the never seen before sketch which can be viewed on YouTube, aims to celebrate the incredible endeavours of those who fundraise and donate to Red Nose Day, as they are the ones who make life changing work possible in the UK and around the world.
The film aims to celebrate fundraising legends like Andy, 27, who fundraises for Comic Relief because he believes in spreading positivity. Not only has he collected 70 Red Noses, last year he shaved off his hair, beard and eyebrows, and waxed his chest and armpits, raising an amazing £1,605.
Andy says: “I have always believed in the power of positivity – if you can get people laughing, then that makes their day instantly better. The work that Comic Relief does is all about helping improve the lives of those in need – what better way to do it than through humour. That is why I am calling on people to support Red Nose Day 2022 in any way they can.”
The famous faces have rallied together to show their support, discussing the joy of Red Nose Day and what it means to them.
Londoner Jamie Demetriou said: ”Red Nose Day has been such a constant and positive presence in my life since I was a kid. Being asked to be involved for another year just felt like such a natural thing to do and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to show my continued support for a charity that funds such life-changing work”.
Comic Relief co-founder, Sir Lenny Henry, said: “The spirit of Red Nose Day, like you know only too well, is for everyone to get involved and to get the vibe of helping someone else that they don’t know, it’s always been that and what could be better?”
“I’ve been inspired by so many people and its usually members of the public who do extraordinary things. I’m always amazed by how dedicated and passionate the people that run the projects are – both in the developing world and in this country – to help better the lives of so many. So, to anybody who has fundraised to support these life changing projects, I personally thank you because we wouldn’t be able to do this stuff without you guys. You are the people that inspire me.”
With lots of exciting plans in store, today Red Nose Day is excited to reveal just a few of the ways the public can get involved and enjoy this year’s campaign…
David Tennant, Paddy McGuinness, Sir Lenny Henry and Zoe Ball will be hosting the big Red Nose Day night of TV which will hit screens live on BBC One on Friday 18th March. The show will be broadcast from Salford for the very time, live from the biggest multi-camera purpose-built TV studio in the UK, the perfect place to broadcast a night of unmissable night of hilarious comedy, special sketches, fun and much, much more.
Britain’s best-loved dog trial will be given a Red Nose Day twist as comedians Tim Vine and Kiri Pritchard-McLean head to the Welsh countryside to take on Countryfile’s iconic One Red Nose and Their Dog competition. The challenge will see the comedians put their newfound sheepdog skills to the test in a bid to be crowned the champions in the one-off special set to air in March, with the winner revealed on the Red Nose Day BBC One night of TV.
The One Show’s Red Nose and Spoon Race is back and bigger than ever. Two teams will battle it out to be crowned winners of the physically demanding four-day race that not only tests their fitness but also their hand eye coordination as they aim to keep the nose on their spoons and raise as much money as possible for Red Nose Day. Two brand new captains will guide their teams, with exactly who to be revealed on The One Show in a few weeks’ time.
In March, five stars will become Glow Up Make-Up Artists (MUAs), competing in the iconic Glow Up studios and beyond to become Britain’s First Celeb Make-Up Star for Comic Relief. In this Red Nose Day special one-hour episode, the celebrity MUAs will be given the same treatment as the competing MUAs in the full series. Under the watchful eye of two of the biggest names in the make-up world, Val Garland and Dominic Skinner, they will be set a real-world make-up industry assignment and creative briefs against the clock. Maya Jama returns as host and the iconic Dame Zandra Rhodes joins Val and Dominic to help oversee the make-up artistry as a guest judge. The celebrity names will be revealed in due course.
Five stars will lull the nation to sleep reading a handpicked story close to their heart in the first ever Red Nose Day series of the popular CBeebies’s Bedtime Stories – names to be revealed soon.
The official Red Nose Day merchandise range returns with the 100% plastic free, plant-based Red Nose back for a second year, and this time there are eight characters to collect. And that’s not all, the range also offers a selection of cuddly soft toys, must-have mugs and stylish reusable water bottles. If you choose to show your support items, are available in Sainsbury’s stores, sainsburys.co.uk, argos.co.uk and on comicrelief.com/rndshop.
Bag yourself a Red Nose Day chari-tee. TK Maxx have teamed up with eleven awesome artists to create a gorgeous collection of t-shirts. The limited-edition Red Nose Day collection also includes aprons, tote bags, notebooks, tea towels, prints, greetings cards and art cards. Shop the full collection in store at TK Maxx and online at tkmaxx.com, the homeware products will also be available in store at Homesense.
Money raised by Red Nose Day will support vital life changing work in the UK and around the world which includes tackling homelessness, domestic abuse, poverty and mental health problems, all of which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
From daring dress-uppers and brilliant bakers to simply getting your hands on some of the official Red Nose Day official, there are countless ways for people across the UK to get involved this year and to help make a difference, no matter how big or small. To find out more and for lots of fantastic fundraising ideas, visit: www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday.
