As reported by The Scotsman, every two years, the UK comes together for Red Nose Day, led by Comic Relief, to raise funds to end child poverty and hunger, with iconic red noses symbolising the fight
The UK’s funny fundraising campaign, spearheaded by Comic Relief, sees Red Nose Day held every two years – with schools, businesses and celebrities raising money to help aid Comic Relief’s mission of tackling poverty in the UK and across the world.
The event is an iconic one in British entertainment, with stars such as David Tennant, Dawn French, Alesha Dixon and Sir Lenny Henry treating viewers tuning into watch Comic Relief on BBC to an extravaganza of live comedy and performances.
Red Nose Day is an important day in every school and fundraising calendar – but when did it first begin?
When did Red Nose Day start?
Red Nose Day itself didn’t start until three years after Comic Relief was first launched from a refugee camp in Sudan on Christmas Day 1985.
The first Red Nose Day was held on Friday February 5 1988, hosted by Sir Lenny Henry and Griff Rhys Jones, and aired on BBC One.
More than 30 million people tuned in to watch a Blackadder special episode, the stars of The Young Ones on University Challenge, Rowan Atkinson and Monty Python sketches and a final comedy routine from Jonathan Ross, Lenny Henry and Griff Rhys Jones.
In total, the first Red Nose Day raised more than £15 million for causes in the UK and Africa and helped to cement the event as a hallmark of British entertainment fundraising.
Looking back on the first Red Nose Day in 2013, Lenny Henry told the Telegraph: “Comic Relief these days is much more in line with shiny-floor shows like The X Factor – fast, zappy, presenter-led – but we were just asking everybody to be kind and help.
“Everything went wrong, of course – the autocue stopped, someone tried to do some magic and it didn’t work, Frankie Howerd came on and wouldn’t stop talking – but people were really moved by the films.
“I thought that if I made people laugh, and donate, then maybe the kids I visited in the Kibera slum in Kenya wouldn’t have to live in a room with a sewer running down the middle of it.”
Why do we wear red noses for Comic Relief?
Red noses have become synonymous with Comic Relief ever since Red Nose Day first began, with the event held to mark the biggest day of Comic Relief’s fundraising campaign.
The simple round red nose that first appeared in 1988 has changed drastically over the years, with all sorts of attachments, sounds and more added to the iconic red nose over the decades.
With the day being a bonanza of entertainment and comedy, the red nose recalls the staple accessory worn as part of a classic clown costume.
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