That Comic Relief was the biggest pile of crap

Maybe another way of looking at it is that they will continue making it until they have solved world poverty ?

No the OP is not right. How do you think these things work? Do you think charities should just give out cash to kids?

Yes,, that's right. I was responding to someone who thought that anyone who was paid from a charity had their fingers in the till somehow, rather than being a legitimate employee.

As a freelancer, I have done the audit for a number of local charities, and been the treasurer of another, so am pretty familiar with the requirements of the Charities Commission.

Agree, I asked for the football to be put on instead and that’s saying something !! Same old same old and Alison Hammond on everything now. Tom Allen isn’t amusing in any way in my opinion. I didn’t even realise it was Red Nose Day until I switched bbc 1 on. My dd used to like collecting the red noses but they are all on Amazon now and made of a weird material so the noses fall off.

I never watch the TV part as I find it cringe but I really enjoyed the 5 ultra marathons challenge on Radio 1. The poor chap running was in bits by the end, although I do wonder how much of it is exaggerated for dramatic purposes.

I think it's great that celebrities use their platform for good. Angelina Jolie is a good example. As long as the person also donates to charity I don't see anything wrong with fund raising.

Maybe I'm missing the whole point entirely, but I'm not sure the car given away in the competition is the best plan.

Whilst it's obviously a magnificent, headline-grabbing vehicle, what would most people actually do with it? Where would you keep it? How would you afford to insure and maintain it?

I'm not suggesting that they should give away a shabby 14yo VW Polo, but a shiny new Merc or something on the fancy and luxurious side of normal and practical might be better received - or even 5 of them, if that would cost the same in total as the one supercar. Even if you won it and didn't want it or couldn't keep it, you'd easily be able to find a buyer.

Surely it makes more sense to raffle off something lovely that millions of people watching could realistically use, rather than a woefully impractical white elephant that only a few middle-aged wealthy people undergoing mid-life crises could and would practically use?

The tv stuff is always dire. Make a donation and watch something else.

Read the BBC statement. .

It literally says most of the money is spent on delivery of service and research.

The OP is right.

Read your post again. Most of the money is being spent on delivery an research, what is actually left in the pot for the children?

The OP is correct.

I really wanted to like the Not Going Out/Paradise sketch as I'm a big fan of NGO and of Lee in general; but I think it tried to hard to be clever and ended up missing the mark significantly. It probably worked much better in the originator's head than in the execution.

How do you know that?

Wholeheartedly disagree, thought this was one of the best it's been for a long time. To answer your points:

1. I thought many of the new sketches were decent. Stars had clearly taken the time out to film something special for the event.
2. I thought it was lovely how they showed popular - and genuinely very funny - sketches from across the 40 years. I didn't see the same one twice, so not sure what you were watching.
3. Lenny appeared later in the evening.
4. The EastEnders episode was a special filmed at a Comic Relief funded charity that helps young people with mental health issues. Thank your lucky stars you don't need the support of a service like it.
5. The Pete Wicks/Vicky Pattison segment was just a bit of fun. Lighten up.
6. As for the presenters, I thought it had been a fair bit slicker than previous years, thanks largely to Joel, Rylan and, in particular, Davina, whose message at the end clearly came from the heart following her recent brain surgery. I don't know how anyone can say that was just 'reading from the autocue'
7. This is a potentially libelous statement, so you might want to rethink it.

So, in short, YABVVU. If you don't like it, don't watch it. But even all these years on, it's still doing its bit to make the world a better place, which is pretty crucial right now.

I heard Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton were in it but I can't find that online, I love them

the Not Going Out/Paradise sketch didn't work at all.

The format needs changing. One or two presenters is plenty. The skits are the best bits more of those and of famous people raising money rather than asking for it. It does work though hiw else could do much money be raised in one night?

Red Nose Day loses a million viewers in a year, according to overnight figures
(Evening Standard via MSN)

2.6m viewers compared to 3.6m last year, though that was distorted by being LH's last one so more watched.

£34m raised compared to £38.6m in 2024.

Agree completely you get the odd brilliant person like Bob but it’s Lee David and Rob that make the show brilliant

I volunteer with a charity. We have four paid staff and the charity is overseen and managed by unpaid trustees. All the trustees have been in professional position so know how to run companies and fundraise. Only the MD, admin and a couple of other people are paid positions. We are audited and finances are rigorously checked.

@dottiedodah I'm always a bit 😮 when they ask us to donate "just" £10. There's no just about a tenner to a lot of people and it shows the tone deafness of whoever is writing the appeal pieces at the BBC.

I remember a few years ago .all the SB staff dressing up .had some going by tills looking for a bit of change.now in difficult times ,we are being asked for 20 30 or 40 quid! This is a little tone deaf I think.maybe get back to fundraising of old.

I loath it. Always have.

If you give £20 to a person, they actually get £20.

If you give £20 to a charity, how much of that £20 actually finds it way to a poor person? Even the most ardent defender of charities would have to admit that it is quite a bit less than £20.

LOL.

Where do you get this stuff from?

Good point, actually - I was using OP's terminology and that fact passed me by!

@BeholdOurButterStinketh Charities don't have directors, they have trustees.

People who work for a large charity are employees, surely? Employees are not volunteers.