Every other year, the BBC’s biggest stars come together in aid of Comic Relief. The charity initiative, set up by Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis, raises vast amounts of money for important causes and ropes in a star-studded line-up to entertain viewers and encourage them to donate.
2019’s edition promises a range of televisual treats – read on to find out everything in store…
- Lily James joins Red Nose Day’s Four Weddings and a Funeral sequel
- The best TV shows airing in 2019
- Stay up to date with the RadioTimes.com newsletter
When is Comic Relief 2019 on TV?
Comic Relief’s campaign culminates in Red Nose Day which this year is being held on Friday 15th March and will be marked with a live TV telethon on BBC1.
What is the Four Weddings and a Funeral Comic Relief Sequel?
Comic Relief’s co-founder is following up his 2017 Love Actually sequel with an equivalent for Four Weddings and a Funeral. Both have received short sequels from the writer and director to help raise money from viewers and have reunited most of their original casts.
Filming our mini sequel to ‘4 Weddings’ today… entire cast assembled, plus some interesting new faces, like pic.twitter.com/1NJVX1vlGd
— emma freud 🔴 (@emmafreud) December 13, 2018
Four Weddings and a Funeral’s sequel – titled One Red Nose Day and a Wedding – filmed late last year and saw the likes of Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, Anna Chancellor and Kristin Scott Thomas reprise their roles; the first-look image for the 12-minute Four Weddings sequel features most of the original main cast, including Rowan Atkinson’s bumbling vicar. They will be joined by a mystery bride who will take centre stage at the titular wedding, plus a host of famous guests including Lily James and Susanna Reid.
Which famous contestants will appear on Comic Relief’s Celebrity Apprentice?
Lord Sugar’s celebrity edition returns for the first time in ten years for a special Comic Relief edition. The Apprentice host will be flanked by his usual advisors, Karren Brady and Claude Littner, with the contestants yet to be announced.
Which celebrities are climbing Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief?
It’s been ten years since the first Red Nose Day climb of Kilimanjaro – now a new batch of famous faces will be training to walk up Africa’s highest mountain.
Hoping to scale the 5,895-metre peak are:
- Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas
- Former Chancellor and Strictly star Ed Balls
- Love Island winner Dani Dyer
- Little Mix’s Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock
- BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker
- Pointless presenter Alexander Armstrong
- Broadcaster Anita Rani
- NFL star Osi Umenyiora
The trek will last eight days and see the team face basic conditions, freezing night temperatures and possible altitude sickness.
This #RedNoseDay we return to Kilimanjaro ten years on with these brave souls 👇
Jade Thirlwall & Leigh-Anne Pinnock of @LittleMix, @Dani_MasDyer, @OsiUmenyiora, @mrdanwalker, @XanderArmstrong, @edballs , @ShirleyBallas & @itsanitarani.#ReturnToKili 🏔 https://t.co/dBHsZMURxj pic.twitter.com/hmfvosi23l
— BBC One (@BBCOne) February 1, 2019
The One Show will be tracking their progress nightly with an hour-long documentary of their challenge set to air on BBC1 on Thursday 14th March.
Who is taking part in Comic Relief’s special comedy gig?
Held at Wembley Arena on 28th February, this one-off show will include a line-up made up of Sir Lenny Henry, Katherine Ryan, Jimmy Carr, John Bishop, Romesh Ranganathan, Rob Beckett, Alan Carr and Russell Howard. You can get tickets here with all proceeds going to Comic Relief.
How can I donate to Comic Relief?
You can donate to Comic Relief via their website here.
What is the difference between Red Nose Day and Comic Relief?
Comic Relief is a British charity, set up by Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny Henry in 1985, originally conceived in response to famine in Ethiopia.
Red Nose Day is their biggest fundraising initiative culminating in a live telethon on the BBC, taking place every other year and always calling upon a star-studded line-up to encourage viewers to donate.
In March 2015 it was announced that in its first 30 years, the combined efforts of Comic Relief and Sport Relief have raised in excess of £1 billion.
from Radio Times http://bit.ly/2I2T9Fk
