Red Nose Day Trivia: 30 fun facts about fund-raising event!

Red Nose Day is a day, usually every other year, on which the Comic Relief organization encourages the public to engage in fundraising for charity.

Let’s find out some fun facts about it!

1. The 2017 edition of Red Nose Day was part of the “Make Your Laugh Matter” campaign. It was held on Friday 24 March till Saturday 25 March 2017 from 7:00 pm to 2:30 am on BBC One.

2. Following the closure of BBC Television Centre in 2013, Comic Relief has had to look for new venues to host the annual telethons as they were previously filmed live from Studio One.

3. Sport Relief 2014 was the first not to be filmed at Television Centre, but at the Copper Box in London’s Olympic Park. As a result, Red Nose Day 2015 came live, for the first time in its history, from the heart of London in its most prestigious theater, the London Palladium.

4. For the 2017 telethon the broadcast was moved from the London Palladium to Building Six at The O2. This choice of venue, otherwise known as the “Comedy Superclub”, also marks the change in tone and format of this year’s telethon from an entertainment programme hosted by television presenters back to its original format, a comedy show hosted by comedians.

5. This change in tone is also seen in the hosting line-up which is dominated by comedians rather than presenters and for the first time in over 10 years does not feature Davina McCall or Claudia Winkleman.

6. For Red Nose Day 2017, 35 of Britain’s biggest vloggers and bloggers took part in the Comic Relief campaign branded as #RedOut.

7 .On Sunday 12 March, big social media names such as Zoella, Alfie Deyes and Marcus Butler went offline for 24 hours to promote the charity.

8. The social media personalities used their platforms to promote an exciting video they would be uploading at 6pm, shocking fans with a short 7-second video and a link to the charity’s website. They signed off their accounts urging followers to donate and get involved before returning in 24 hours with Red Nose Day themed videos for their subscribers.

9. The first Red Nose Day raised £15 million on Christmas Day in 1985. The public has now fallen in love with the work of Comic Relief, and in 2013 the charity raised a whopping £1000,331,808.

10. There have been over 20 different noses for all of the 20 Comic Relief shows, including The Nose with Toes, Monster Noses, Whoopee Nose and Nose in a Bag. Do you have a favourite?

11. The donations really do make a difference. Thanks to the tireless work of the public, the number of children that attended school between 1999-2008 in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 46.5 million! Literacy in Adults in Uganda also increased by a significant 73% by 2010.

12. In 2001, £61 million was raised.

13. In 2003, a total of £61.6 million was raised!

14. Red Nose Day 2005 raised an incredible £65 million!

15. In 2007, Red Nose Day raised £67.7 million.

16. Red Nose Day 2009 raised a the record amount of £82.3 million!

17. In 2011, Red Nose Day raised £108.4 million, which once again beat all previous records.

18. Comic Relief has helped to establish the National Domestic Violence Helpline in 2013. Since then, the helpline has received over 1.5 million calls. It also refers an average of 28 women to a refuge every single day. This is a vital lifeline for people who are experiencing domestic abuse and have nowhere to turn.

19. Comic Relief is based on the “Golden Pound Principle”, which means every single pound sterling is spent on charitable projects. Staff salaries and operating costs are covered by corporate sponsors or interest earn on the money waiting to be distributed.

30. The initial name of the first Red Nose Day telethon was the National Day of Comedy, and it has since been held on the second or third Friday in March.