Put a Red Nose on Your Conk ! (Comic Relief)

Member Name: sdean

Product:	Comic Relief
Date:	13/03/09 (212 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Raises money for charity

Disadvantages: Watching the plight of those less fortunate

~History~
Comic Relief is widely defined as 'a humorous episode in a serious or tragic context'. And isn't it just. Comic Relief - the charity was founded in the UK in 1985 by the great comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis. This was in response to famine in Ethiopia. Launched on Christmas day 1985 from a refugee camp in Sudan. The idea came from a well known charity worker 'Jane Tewson', she was inspired the first four 'Secret Policemen's Ball' comedy benefit shows. However the first 'Red Nose Day' was held in February 1988 and raised £15 million

One of the most important principles of Comic Relief (which I didn't know until researching for this project) is the Golden Pound Principle. This means that every penny donated goes straight to people who need it. Costs such as salaries and all operating costs are paid for by sponsors (two of the main sponsors are currently the BBC and Sainsbury's).
Since launch Red Nose Day has raised over £600 million for worthwhile causes in the UK and abroad.

Comic Relief and Red Nose Day are usually held in the Spring every two years, 2009 will be the 12th event of this kind. We are encouraged to have non uniform days, get sponsored to do silly things, almost like a semi holiday. The day also includes wearing red noses, the theme for this came when a marketing exec drew a red nose in marker pen around his own nose, like a clown, they also figured that someone wearing a red nose or anything different is funny. And if it was funny, people would pay!


~What Happens On The Night?~
On 'Red Nose Day', hopefully people will be creating mayhem raising money, wearing silly clothes, sitting in baths of beans. In the afternoon CBBC will have reports relating to how well the fund raising is going and what they are doing to raise money including, one of my favourites, celebrity gunging!
It flicks between BBC 1 and 2 all night depending on when the news is on. Usually we see whatis popular on TV at the time with some old favourites, in the past we have seen turns from:-
-Little Britain
-French & Saunders
- Eastenders
- University Challenge
-The Apprentice
-Fame Acadamy

These are all 'specials' for the comic relief programme and should you want to see something, you are encouraged to get the total up to a certain point then they will show it to you, one memorable moment was Hugh Grant kissing Dawn French!

~Hosts~

We are always blessed with some of the greatest talent in presenting on the night giving their time in need of a good cause. We always have usual BBC favourites and people who are 'in' at the time these have included
- Jonathon Ross
- Lenny Henry
- Vic Reeves & Bob Mortimer
- Graham Norton
- Chris Evans
- Davina McCall
- Dermot O'Leary
- Ant & Dec


The last event recorded 9 months after 'Red Nose Day' in November was a massive £67,250,099

~What To Expect This Year (TONIGHT)!~

7pm-8.30pm - David Tennant and Davina McCall
8.30pm-10pm - Jonathan Ross and Claudia Winkleman
10pm-10.30 (on BBC 2) Fearne Cotton and Reggie Yates
Midnight - 1am Graham Norton
1am - 3am James Cordon & Matthew Horne

The Saturdays are providing the 'official' single called 'Just Can't Get Enough' the 'spoof' single of the year is Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon doing Islands In The Stream, there will be special editions of Harry Hill's TV Burp, The Royle Family, The Catherine Tate Show, Little Britain USA with Robbie Williams, Davina and David Tennant will go head to head in Mastermind. There will be a special episode of Gavin & Stacey and loads more to make you stay in tonight!

As usual it will be punctuated throughout the night with tales of what Comic Relief is trying to do, this could be in Africa or in the UK. Some of the stories are truly awful and very sad and might bring a tear to your eye, others might just make you pick up the phone and pledge some money! You are still taking part even if you donate your spare change.
This even makes a difference and has raised over £600m so far. Lets raise a bit more!!

Summary: Give them your****money !!!