Comic Relief raises nearly £60 Million despite hardly raising a laugh

The Comic Relief’s telethon broadcast on BBC One last night raised a record £57 million. The previous amount raised was £40.5 million back in 2007 – that being the biggest at the time in the history of the ‘Red Nose Day’ event which launched live from a refugee camp in Sudan on Christmas Day 1985.

Famous faces from David Tennant, Fern Britton, Alan Carr, David Beckham, Catherine Tate, Gary Barlow, Graham Norton, Divina McCall and Robbie Williams all appeared on the live six-hour-plus marathon which started at 7pm on the BBC’s main network. Special editions of Harry Hill’s TV Burp, The Royle Family, The Apprentice, and Dragons’ Den as well as a special French and Saunders slot spoofing the Abba-musical movie Mamma Mia all featured, with the latter being one of the funniest moments. While there were other , rare, moments of pure comedy gold, the majority of the programme was as flat as Fern Brittons stomach. Dire moments included further attempts at comedy by Ricky Gervais, and a painful feature by James Corden.

But, if we go by the Bob Geldolf charity motto: Any old rope in return for money, then the key aim of raising money was successful and the BBC expects the final amount raised to increase by at least £20m as more donations flood in.

The money, as always, is issued to groups, charities and organisations who help disadvantaged people across Africa and the UK.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who can spend millions bailing out banks, but not provide funding for all Cancer research or Macmillan nurses, said the money raised would make a “real difference”. He also offered his congratulations to Comic Relief, and added: “That figure is testament both to their hard work and also to the outstanding generosity of the British people.”

The biggest ever donation to Red Nose Day came from supermarket Sainsbury’s, who have sold the official Comic Relief merchandise. They raised over £9m for the event.

The BBC report that the 2009 fundraising appeal has seen record sales of red noses, up 23% on the 2007 figures – with an average of 100,000 noses being bought every day.