The history of Red Nose Day and Comic Relief
In March, the UK will see the return of Red Nose Day, an annual opportunity to get silly for a good cause.
Airing across BBC One and BBC iPlayer, Red Nose Day is celebrated with an annual charity telethon, featuring a host of famous faces from the worlds of comedy and entertainment - but what is it actually about?
Well, here at BBC Bitesize, we've taken a look into the history of Red Nose Day: when it began, how much it's raised, and when you can expect this year's live broadcast.
What is Red Nose Day and how is it linked to Comic Relief?
Red Nose Day is an annual fundraising campaign created by Comic Relief, which uses comedy and entertainment to raise money for people in need.
Comic Relief's central mission is to create a just world free from poverty, using donations to provide grants and support to organisations tackling poverty and injustice right across the globe.
Red Nose Day is celebrated with a live telethon on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, presented by a host of famous faces, and it's a great opportunity for anyone to get involved with fundraising. Whether it's a bake sale or a fun-run, there's all sorts of ways to raise money and support - every penny counts!
When did Red Nose Day begin?
Comic Relief was founded in 1985, by comedian Lenny Henry, screenwriter Richard Curtis and philanthropist Jane Tewson, with the first Red Nose Day campaign launching in 1988.
Raising a whopping £15 million, the first Red Nose Day drew an audience of 30 million people on BBC One, featuring sketches involving comedy icons like Blackadder and The Young Ones.
Since that first campaign, Comic Relief has raised more than a billion pounds, with the broadcast welcoming a whole host of famous faces, including Hugh Grant, David Beckham and the Spice Girls!
Red Nose Day in 2011 set the record for total donations, raising a massive £108 million with the help and generosity of the British public.
How much did Red Nose Day raise last year?
Since its inception in 1985, Comic Relief has raised more than £1.6 billion, supporting over 100 million people in the UK and around the world. In 2025, the Red Nose Day programme raised over £34 million for Comic Relief, marking the charity's 40th anniversary.
Last year, £2 million of the final total was raised by Radio 1's Jamie Laing. His five-day challenge saw him take on an epic 150+ mile run from London to Salford, completing an ultra-marathon each day in support of Comic Relief.
The 2025 Red Nose Day campaign was launched by Joanna Lumley and Amelia Dimoldenberg, with famous faces like Alison Hammond, Lee Mack and Rylan Clark featuring in the live broadcast.
When is Red Nose Day 2026?
This year, Red Nose Day will take place on Friday 20 March, coming to a head at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer with the broadcast of Comic Relief: Funny For Money.
This year's theme is 'Take Yourself Funny for Money', encouraging the British public to embrace their self-deprecating, silly side in order to do some serious good for those in need. Comic Relief is focusing on basic necessities this year, saying money raised in 2026 will provide 'food, shelter and safety to people in the UK and around the world'.
Always a starry affair, this year's show will feature stars from Strictly, Gladiators and Doctor Who, alongside a whole host of guest presenters. Catherine Tate, Katherine Ryan and Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed will join the presenting team for the show, with familiar favourites like Joel Dommett and Davina McCall also making an appearance.
What are the Red Nose Day challenges for 2026?
This year's big Red Nose Day challenge will be taken by BBC Radio 1's Greg James. No stranger to a Comic Relief challenge, this year will see Greg take on his longest and most gruelling challenge yet: cycling 1000km (621 miles) across the UK in just eight days.
To make matters tougher, Greg will be doing the whole journey on a tandem bike, joined by a variety of special guests to help him on his journey. Greg's ride will begin in Weymouth on 13 March, before reaching the finish line in Edinburgh on Friday 20 March - to coincide with Red Nose Day itself.
Greg is dedicating his challenge to anyone who feels like they’re carrying life’s load on their own, emphasising the importance of coming together and the power of collective effort to create real, positive change.
As far as the rest of us are concerned? This year's Red Nose Day includes the debut of 'Design-Yer Nose', encouraging people to take the blank canvas of a red nose and really express themselves. To find out more about how you can support this year's Red Nose Day campaign, check out this page on the Comic Relief website.