That Comic Relief was the biggest pile of crap

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I have just watched 2 hours of absolute rubbish. And I need to know if I'm going mad and my expectations are too high. A previous avid watcher, never again, not even for charity.

1. Aside from the Oasis Sketch (mildly amusing) nothing remotely funny
2. Years old sketches seemingly on loop. I know it's the anniversary but come on..it's like we are too safe to be funny anymore so have to rely on past sketches
3. No Lenny Henry. It just ain't the same.
4. A depressing long Eastenders Segment half way through, full of woe and doom
5. Pete Wicks and Vicky Pattison visiting 'random' people's houses to give Amazon parcels, and 'just happen' to knock on a BBC often used Trans activist's door. Typical BBC.
6. Presenters' cringeworthy auto cues - forced and uncomfortable
7. Most of the money goes in Director's pockets anyway - I'd bet hardly any goes 'on the ground'

You are being unreasonable: Stop being a miserable menopausal old git, plus it's raised loads for charity.

You are not being unreasonable: It's a pile of cringeworthy crap.

It gives 100% of the money to the poor instead of letting all the leaches get their hands on it first leaving the poor person with hardly anything.

I found Lenny Henry’s recap the most interesting part, and it was good to see the update on some of the projects, especially the reduction in malaria-related children’s deaths.

However, wasn’t really bothered by the repeats all evening. Next year, they just need a night of comics, doing stand up.

As someone said above, love the cause and what it’s achieved, and i don’t think it’s gone in the pockets of directors. A £x million pound business needs to pay the going rate for that business, whether it’s a charity or a manufacturer.

Just so you're left in no doubt, I absolutely do not want my donations going to trans charities.

It hasn't really been funny since the first one. That was because it was unusual to see non comedy people (news readers etc) doing funny things. Now it's commonplace.

In 2024, £53.77 million was raised. £34.75 million of that was spent on charitable activities. 64%. Just over £11 million was spent on raising funds.

I don't know why they need 97 presenters.
I lasted 10 minutes, and feel very old.

2024 - 153 employees with staff costs of £9.29 million.

We only lasted 10 minutes…and that is with one of the main presenters being one of my neighbours 🙄

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

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

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

LOL.

Where do you get this stuff from?

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.

I loath it. Always have.

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.

@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 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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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.

How do you know that?

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.

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.