Dermot's red nose ...

Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief. Comic Relief is one of the two high profile telethon eventsy held in the United Kingdom, the other being Children in Need, held annually in November. (says Wikipedia). 

Red Nose Day has been going for 30 years then, and has provided some great comic moments with the cream of British talent over the years, apart from all that fundraising. One feels ambivalent sometimes about celebrities and 'charidee', as one feels sometimes they are there to promote themselves or their latest work. And of course no matter now much money is raised it is never enough, as next year it is the same all over again, poverty and famine never go away - and I say that having been on a march to help Biafra back in 1968, when Melina Mercouri led us on a march to Trafalgar Square. 

This year has been a riot of fun though, with the likes of Claudia Winkelman being as ever a marvellous compere - we have had a STRICTLY COMES DANCING and A CELEBRITY BAKE-OFF (where the likes of Dane Edna, Joanna Lumley, Victoria Wood, Jennifer Saunders and Lulu did their best) for Red Nose: some brilliant sketches (loved David Walliams (who in previous years has swam the English Channel and the River Thames for Red Nose, while Eddie Izzard has ran marathons) with Catherine Tate with Professor Stephen Hawking); then there was that panel choosing the next British Treasure, and the hilarious James Bond spoof (you can keep Mr Bean...). and Dermot O'Leary danced for 24 hours which proved great fun whenever we dropped in (via the red button) to see how it was going.
Dermot, now 41, is a cheeky chappy we like, usually compering X- FACTOR and the like, the boy can move. Of course it was all managed perfectly, with dancing teams and guests brought in to keep the party going, and that guy in red was amazing, keeping Dermot going with his fantastic moves. Dermot got comfort breaks now and then, and must have flagged a lot but I know myself how one's energy levels rise and fall. He was probably punch drunk by the end though, despite pals like Jamie Oliver, Russell Tovey, Grimmy, Ronan Keating and the like popping in to encourage him (and of course Ronan did a song from his show ...). They moved out of the BBC during the day to the street outside so people could pop along and see them and take selfies with dancing Dermot. What a chap - and he raised over £660,000. The whole event raised £78 million, taking the total to a billion over the 30 years! 
See Dermot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3cLw5ksNt0