Comic Relief 2025: when is it on, who's on, what to look forward to

It’s the silliest night in British telly: Comic Relief, or Red Nose Day. Entertaining us since 1985, this, the 40th Comic Relief anniversary, is all about raising money for charity once more (after raising more than £1.6bn over its lifetime) mostly in the form of Red Nose Days. With dozens of British household names descending upon the stage at Media City in Salford and fund-raising activities in the month beforehand – including a skit in which Amelia Dimoldenburg brings Joanna Lumley up to speed on 2025 trends – here’s what you need to know about the big day.

This year’s show is set to air on BBC One on Friday, March 21. It’ll be filmed live from Media City UK in Salford and will most likely start at 7pm as usual. A whole host of big names will take to the stage on Red Nose Day, including AJ Odudu, Alison Hammond, Alesha Dixon, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Rylan, Tom Allen and Jonathan Ross – who also presented the first ever Red Nose Day night of TV in 1988.

Dubbed “a Red Nose Day challenge like no other”, Morning Live presenters Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton will roll into the day preparing to take up a 24-hour endurance test for Comic Relief. The duo will be roller skating round-the-clock and will be helped out by previous Comic Relief challengers and Morning Live co-presenters. While Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing will be lacing up his trainers to face his own challenge, a run over more than 150 miles in five days from London to Salford. The challenge, that will see him conquer daily ultra-marathons, will kick off in central London on March 17.

Laing said: “Five ultra marathons in five days? Let's go! I feel honoured to be taking part in this year's Radio 1 Challenge for Comic Relief. I haven't run properly since school so to be faced with this challenge is pretty overwhelming, but I know the listeners will get me through! I just have to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. “I'm running from London to Salford to encourage conversations and awareness around mental health, anxiety and depression – something I have suffered with myself in the past. I wouldn't be where I am today without the help of others, so I want to thank everyone in advance for their support and donations.”.

Also in the lead-up to Red Nose Day, a documentary featuring a challenge Billy Monger has embarked on after a year of intensive training, will air on BBC One and iPlayer. It will follow the Channel4 Formula 1 commentator’s bid to become the youngest ever double-leg amputee to complete an IRONMAN World Championship, in Hawaii, described by the BBC as the “world’s most iconic one-day endurance challenge”.

For those wanting to donate, Red Noses can be bought either on Amazon or the Comic Relief Shop – along with other merch like sweets, badges and water bottles. It’s only £2.50 for a red nose, too: money well spent, as some of the proceeds will go to help Comic Relief’s work tackling poverty in the UK and worldwide. This year’s big Comic Relief anniversary, the ruby birthday bash, will see a Red Nose brought back from each decade – the 80s, 90s, Noughties and 2010s – as well as a celebratory cupcake nose (exclusive to the collector pack).