The British fundraising institution Red Nose Day is being exported to America for a three-hour show in May next year.
The television fundraising event will be shown on the US network NBC, which is working in collaboration with Comic Relief to bring the show to the States for the first time.
Red Nose Day raised £100.2m in 2013 and has been running in the UK for 25 years.
A statement on NBC’s website said the charities involved in the US version and the stars that will present the show will be announced at a later date.
“Through personal donations and corporate partners, the live NBC benefit will raise money for established charities working both in the United States and around the world,” the statement said.
“Televised in front of a live audience, like its BBC counterpart, the NBC telecast will include individual stand-up performances, sketch comedy, parodies, live music and short films about the cause.”
Since its launch in 1988 by the writer and director Richard Curtis, 14 Red Nose Days have raised more than £700m and provide grants for UK charities and international projects.
Curtis, who will be an executive producer on the NBC show, said: “For many years I have dreamt of bringing Red Nose Day to the US.
"Experience has taught me how extraordinarily compassionate and generous Americans can be, and I’ve lived my life in awe of American comedy talent. So putting those two things together will, I hope, create an amazing event that will really make a massive difference to the lives of millions of children and their families in the US and in the poorest countries around the world.”
