British Comedy Guide
Comic Relief. Copyright: BBC
Comic Relief

Comic Relief

  • TV variety
  • BBC One
  • 1988 - 2024
  • 21 episodes

Every two years the biggest British comedy stars and shows come together to raise money for charity. Stars Lenny Henry, Jonathan Ross, Griff Rhys Jones, Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and more.

F
X
R
W
E

Episode menu

Comic Relief 2023

Comic Relief. Image shows left to right: Joel Dommett, AJ Odudu, Paddy McGuinness, David Tennant, Zoe Ball
David Tennant is joined in the studio by Paddy McGuinness, Zoe Ball, Joel Dommett and AJ Odudu.

General Timings

7pm - 10pm: Comic Relief 2023

10pm - 10:30pm (BBC Two): When Comic Relief Did Big Brother

10:40pm - 11:40pm: The Best of the Best Bits. Highlights from 35 years of Red Nose Day.

Exact Timings

19.00: Pre-filmed sketch in which Lenny Henry morphs into David Tennant in the style of Doctor Who.

19.01: The five hosts introduce what is coming up, and explain that Lenny Henry is not hosting for the first time as he is tied up with another project. David Tennant, Joel Dommett and AJ Odudu then host this section.

19.06: Zara Larsson performs her single Can't Tame Her.

19.09: Ghosts special with Kylie Minogue. Episode record

19.18: Appeal film about Alzheimer's.

19.24: Martin Lewis explains Gift Aid.

19.26: Blackadder highlights.

19.27: Dragon's Den stars Deborah Meaden and Sara Davies judge Lego models made by school children.

19.30: Baldrick's Bedtime Story.

19.36: Feature on Gethin Jones dancing for 24 hours, with him appearing in the studio for it to be revealed he raised £1,192,298.

19.40: Rosie Jones introduces an appeal film about supporting disabled people abroad.

19.46: Giovanni Pernice meet a choir, and picks one of the members to dance with him.

19.48: Eurovision sketch. Graham Norton, Lulu and Sam Ryder are the judges. After a phone call with ABBA star Björn Ulvaeus, they see auditions from Miranda Hart, Jamie Dornan, Fleur East, Owain Wyn Evans, Zara Larsson, a Dalek, Bono (via video link) and Dick & Dom. Dermot O'Leary is backstage to give hugs.

19.55: Eurovision competition.

19.58: Part 2 of the Eurovision sketch. This time: S Club 7, Lost Voice Guy, Gordon Ramsay, Tony Hadley, Fred Sirieix, Brotherhood Of Man (Nicky Stevens, Sandra Stevens and Lee Sheriden), Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Ed Sheeran (via video).

20.05: Mo Farah talks about human trafficking and slavery.

20.10: A thank you to Amazon for selling the Red Nose, raising £2,710,504.

20.11: Newsreaders read jokes. Featuring Sophie Raworth, Clive Myrie, Charlene White, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Kay Burley, Susanna Reid, Piers Morgan, Richard Madeley, Charlie Stayt, Naga Munchetty, Huw Edwards and Mishal Husain.

20.14: Mrs Doubtfire The Musical.

20.21: A thank you to Sainsbury's.

20.23: Appeal film about homelessness, featuring Prince William.

20.28: Giovanni Pernice and Rachel dance.

20.32: Oti Mabuse (who took part in the Red Nose Day Challenge) reveals a total of £19,082,835.

20.34: Odudu and Dommett depart, a tease of what is coming up, and then Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball join Tennant.

20.36: B*Witched perform.

20.41: The Traitors sketch. Dawn French plays Claudia, with those seated around the table being Alison Hammond, Stephen Merchant, Ellie Simmonds, Ewan McGregor (in character as Obi Wan Kenobi), Big Zuu, Rosie Jones, Guy Fawkes, Mary Berry, Danny Dyer, The Traitors stars Maddy Smedley and Wilf Webster, Jennifer Saunders, Anne Robinson, David Gandy and Claudia Winkleman.

20.51: A film explaining where some of Comic Relief's money goes.

21.00: Troy Hawke greets TK Maxx customers, and it is revealed the chain has raised £1,800,309.

21.02: Stath Lets Flats special. Episode record

21.10: Film about how Comic Relief money was used in Ukraine.

21.16: It's revealed the challenge in which Emma Willis, Oti Mabuse and Rylan's challenge to reach the summit of Cairn Gorm Mountain raised £501,726, followed by a video from British Airways revealing they'd raised £1,076,946.

21.18: Love Island sketch featuring Chabuddy G.

21.26: Chris Evans introduces a competition to win the Jaguar car once owned by the Queen.

21.29: It's revealed Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free raised £591,486 for her 50 hour cycling and DJ challenge.

21.30: Flo & Joan sing a song to celebrate 35 years of Comic Relief.

21.36: Appeal film about Holding Hearts, a charity project that helps children who have experienced grief.

21.42: Part 2 of the Love Island sketch featuring Chabuddy G and Maya Jama.

21.48: Announcement that KFC raised £828,500.16.

21.49: Lenny Henry presents a film about famine in Africa.

21.53: Tom Grennan performs, as the programme plays a montage of scenes from appeal films.

21.58: Grand total of £31,952,141.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 17th March 2023
Time
7pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
180 minutes
Recorded
  • Friday 17th March 2023, 19:00 at Dock 10 (MediaCityUK)
  • Wednesday 15th March 2023, 18:50 at Dock 10 (MediaCityUK) (Comedy Pre-Record)
  • Thursday 16th March 2023, 17:00 at Dock 10 (MediaCityUK) (Mrs. Doubtfire Musical - Music Pre-Record)

Cast & crew

Cast
Paddy McGuinness Host / Presenter
David Tennant Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Zoe Ball Host / Presenter
AJ Odudu Host / Presenter
Joel Dommett Host / Presenter
Asim Chaudhry Chabuddy G
Tom Stourton Guy Fawkes
Milo McCabe Troy Hawke
Tony Robinson Baldrick
Dawn French Self
Claudia Winkleman Self
Miranda Hart Self
Ed Sheeran Self
David Walliams Self
Bono Self
Fleur East Self
Sophie Raworth Self
Lee Ridley (as Lost Voice Guy) Self
Mary Berry Self
Jennifer Saunders Self
Prince William Self
Oti Mabuse Self
Rosie Jones Self
Giovanni Pernice Self
Clive Myrie Self
Lulu Self
Big Zuu Self
Jamie Dornan Self
Gordon Ramsay Self
Owain Wyn Evans Self
Deborah Meaden Self
Lenny Henry Self
Zara Larsson Self
Martin Lewis Self
Sara Davies Self
Gethin Jones Self
Graham Norton Self
Sam Ryder Self
Björn Ulvaeus Self
Dermot O'Leary Self
Richard McCourt Self
Dominic Wood Self
Rachel Stevens (as S Club 7) Self
Hannah Spearritt (as S Club 7) Self
Bradley McIntosh (as S Club 7) Self
Tina Barrett (as S Club 7) Self
Paul Cattermole (as S Club 7) Self
Jo O'Meara (as S Club 7) Self
Tony Hadley Self
Fred Sirieix Self
Nicky Stevens Self
Sandra Stevens Self
Lee Sheriden Self
Amanda Holden Self
Mo Farah Self
Charlene White Self
Krishnan Guru-Murthy Self
Kay Burley Self
Susanna Reid Self
Piers Morgan Self
Richard Madeley Self
Charlie Stayt Self
Naga Munchetty Self
Huw Edwards Self
Mishal Husain Self
Gabriel Vick Self
Cameron Blakely Self
Marcus Collins Self
Edele Lynch (as B*Witched) Self
Keavy Lynch (as B*Witched) Self
Lindsay Armaou (as B*Witched) Self
Sinéad O'Carroll (as B*Witched) Self
Alison Hammond Self
Stephen Merchant Self
Ellie Simmonds Self
Ewan McGregor Self
Danny Dyer Self
Maddy Smedley Self
Wilf Webster Self
Anne Robinson Self
David Gandy Self
Iain Stirling Love Island narrator (Voice)
Chris Evans Self
Nicola Dempsey (as Flo & Joan) Self
Rosie Dempsey (as Flo & Joan) Self
Maya Jama Self
Tom Grennan Self

Videos

The Traitors

In a special parody of the hit psychological gameshow, The Traitors, a star-studded roundtable gathers to decide who should be banished. Claudia Winkleman (played by Dawn French) assembles the celebrity 'Faithful' and 'Traitors' for a discussion full of twists and turns. Which famous faces will be under the cloaks and who will be revealed as the ultimate Traitor?

Featuring: Rosie Jones, Dawn French, Alison Hammond, Stephen Merchant, Ellie Simmonds, Ewan McGregor, Big Zuu, Tom Stourton (Guy Fawkes), Mary Berry, Danny Dyer, Maddy Smedley, Wilf Webster, Jennifer Saunders, Anne Robinson, David Gandy & Claudia Winkleman.

Eurovision

The UK may have found its Eurovision entrant for this year, but before the big night, the judging panel will have to sit through aspiring celebrity auditions... of varying quality.

Featuring: Zara Larsson, Graham Norton, Lulu, Sam Ryder, Björn Ulvaeus, Miranda Hart, Dermot O'Leary, Jamie Dornan, Fleur East, Owain Wyn Evans, Bono, Richard McCourt & Dominic Wood.

Lenny Henry regenerates into David Tennant

Lenny Henry regenerates into none other than The Doctor himself, David Tennant.

Featuring: David Tennant & Lenny Henry.

Flo & Joan - 35th Birthday Song

Flo & Joan celebrate 35 years of Comic Relief's TV broadcasts, via the medium of a song.

Featuring: Flo & Joan, Flo & Joan & Flo & Joan.

Baldrick's Bedtime Story

Baldrick sits down to read us a Bedtime Story, based on Cinderella.

Featuring: Tony Robinson (Baldrick).

Chabuddy G is the new Love Island Villa Bombshell

Chabuddy G enters the Love Island villa - but will any of the islanders' heads be turned, and will Maya Jama know how to handle him at the recoupling?!

Featuring: Asim Chaudhry (Chabuddy G) & Maya Jama.

Share this page