Comic Relief: Funny for Money: Do something funny for money, wear your Red Nose with complete and utter pride

​Friday: Comic Relief: Funny for Money (BBC One, 7pm)
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​Cast your mind back, if you can, to 1985.

That was the year that Live Aid took place, raising millions to help relieve the suffering of those caught up in the Ethiopian famine.

Organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, it featured some of the pop music world’s biggest stars appearing at venues around the world, most famously in London and Philadelphia.

Sir Lenny HenrySir Lenny Henry
Sir Lenny Henry
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It was also the year that Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis founded Comic Relief; they launched it via a report from Sudan during a Christmas Day edition of Noel Edmonds’ Late Late Breakfast Show. The first live fundraiser took place four months later, with the telethon eventually launching in 1988; it has since become a national event, with the BBC handing over its schedule one Friday night in March every year (it’s been an annual show since 2021).

However, the 2024 edition marks the end of an era – after almost 40 years at the helm, Henry announced in January that this year’s telethon will be his last.

He told BBC Breakfast: “There’s all these new, wonderful comedians with podcasts and nine million followers, and those guys or women should be hosting Comic Relief now so that the young people and the new influx of viewers can plug into the next stage of Comic Relief, because there will be a next stage, and because we want to continue tackling issues of poverty and injustice.

“It’s time to hand over the reins, as it were.”

During his tenure, donations have surpassed £1.5bn, with the money split between a number of good causes both at home and abroad. Tackling poverty and providing food, healthcare and safe shelter are the charity’s priorities.

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“Right now, we know there is a cost-of-living crisis and people are struggling,” says Henry. “But we also know that the British public are brilliant – you’re so kind and generous, if somebody has a problem, you always want to help out. Without you, we couldn’t do what we do.

“I’d love nothing more than if you joined me in getting involved this year. Let’s make it one to remember and show that having a laugh can actually make a world of difference. Do something funny for money, wear your Red Nose with complete and utter pride – whatever you do, thank you!”

He’ll be joined on the night at Salford’s MediaCityUK by fellow presenters Romesh Ranganathan, Maya Jama, David Tennant, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rosie Ramsey and Paddy McGuinness, who’ll be hoping that such sights as Alan Partridge’s fundraising efforts, a very special trailer for a movie version of The Traitors, appearances by Martin Lewis, Luke Littler and the Gladiators, and a catch-up with Sara Davies, Vicky Pattison, Alex Scott and Laura Whitmore as they return from their Arctic Circle challenge will inspire viewers to dig deep.

Stay tuned as well because after the news, there’s a tribute to Henry’s efforts in Comic Relief: A Whole Lotta Lenny featuring the most memorable moments from his charitable career – a fitting way to say thank you to the man who’s done so much, simply by making us smile.

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