Comic Relief’s flagship telethon Red Nose Day raised £30m this year, according to figures shared at the end of Friday’s event broadcast by the BBC.
The total raised by the fundraising event, also livestreamed on YouTube for the first time, is £4m lower than last year’s on-the-night total and over £8m less than was donated two years ago.
Comic Relief reported that the £30m raised this year would help over 1.3 million people in the UK and around the world access food to eat, a safe place to sleep, and a life free of fear and harm.
Longer term, Red Nose Day’s on-the-night total has generally declined since 2015, when £78m was raised.
Since launching in 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1.6bn.
CEO: ‘We are deeply grateful’
This year’s event included Radio 1 DJ Greg James raising more than £4m through a 1,000km tandem bike riding challenge from Weymouth to Edinburgh.
The evening of entertainment was hosted by Davina McCall and featured comics including Catherine Tate, Joel Dommett, Katherine Ryan, and Nick Mohammed.
Celebrities including Anna Wintour, Daniel Craig, Idris Elba and Julia Roberts also made appearances.
Samir Patel, Comic Relief CEO, said on Friday: “Tonight has once again reminded us of the joyful generosity that results from laughing together while helping others – it’s what Red Nose Day has always been about, people helping people.
“We’ve been blown away by the efforts of schools, communities, workplaces and our partners across the UK in helping to raise £30,004,040 that will help over 1.3 million people who urgently need our support now to access food, safety and shelter.
“That big number reflects thousands of small acts of kindness, generosity and compassion. At a time when we know so many people are facing the toughest times of their own, we are deeply grateful.”
In a message shared on the night, co-founder Lenny Henry said: “The truth is, all of us are finding life challenging at the moment… But here’s what’s amazing about us – we know how to come together when it counts.
“By picking each other up, not picking sides. When it really matters, we stick together and we stick on a Red Nose and joyfully make complete fools of ourselves for money.”
