Comic Relief Raises Over 1bn in 30 years

The show managed to raise £78m by the end of Friday’s live show.

11:28 16 March 2015

Comic Relief, now on it’s 30th year, has managed to raise over 1bn by the end of Friday’s live show, which was participated by a host of celebrities who performed one-off sketches live on BBC One. 

 

Red Nose Day 2015 raised £78m, the highest amount ever been raised, as confirmed by host Claudia Winkelman. 

 

Richard Curtis, founder and vice chair of Comic Relief, said: "This is a very strange moment for me. When a bunch of comedians got together all those years ago we dreamed of raising a million or two, and never imagined the generosity that would be shown by the British public for so many years.

"Figures tell us that the billion pounds have helped around 50 million people in the UK and overseas, 50 million people whose lives have been changed or saved by the generosity of people they've never met."

Among those who participated included Dawn French and Rowan Atkinson, reprising their roles The Vicar of Dibley and Mr Bean, respectively. The shows started with Radio 2 DJ Dermot O’Leary completing a 24-hour danceathon.