Gearing up for Red Nose Day

Time to start backcombing and donning a bright red hooter - it's Red Nose Day.

16:10 11 March 2005

Time to start backcombing and donning a bright red hooter - it's Red Nose Day.

Millions of red noses have been bought and litres of hairspray purchased as people across the country take part in silly antics to raise money for charity.

And the highlight of the tenth Red Nose Day is, as ever, a night of telly packed with top names from the world of comedy, music and entertainment.

For starters, Elton John, George Michael and Robbie Williams will all be starring in a special edition of cult comedy classic Little Britain.

Matt Lucas' Dafydd, "the only gay in the village", interviews Elton for his local newspaper only to find that he is actually "one of the boys".

The Office star Ricky Gervais will hang out with his idol, David Bowie, in a spoof video diary, while babes Myleen Klass and Nell McAndrew join the cast of My Family.

Jennifer Saunders is reuniting with Joanna Lumley for a Spice Girls' themed Absolutely Fabulous sketch, while her husband Ade Edmondson will battle it out in the final of Comic Relief Fame Academy.

About 16 million viewers are expected to tune in for the live final of the celebrity talent show, where Ade will battle it out against EastEnder Kim Medcalf, Top of the Pops presenter Reggie Yates and DJ Edith Bowman.

Of course, the most important part of the night is the fundraising, and Lenny Henry and Davina McCall will show viewers how the money raised in previous campaigns has been spent.

Members of the public have been taken to Africa for the first time to see how they have made a change. Three Coventry bus drivers who have raised more than 30,000 by taking a Full Monty-style strip around the country visited Kenya, while a family from Bristol travelled to Ethiopia.

More than 337 million has been raised since Comic Relief started in 1985, helping more than 6,000 projects in Africa and in Britain.