Borat, Blair help TV event raise record breaking $80 million
By Courtney Lear
British PM Blair makes
comedic debut with Tate
LONDON, UK (Hollywood Today) 3/17/07 – “Borat” star Sacha Baron Cohen, Ricky Gervais and Catherine Tate were among hundreds of comics and celebrities who helped raise $80 million during yesterday’s British Comic Relief telethon.
The event put on by the charitable organization Comic Relief, in honor of Britain’s annual awareness raising holiday, Red Nose Day, saw some of the UK’s brightest stars bring laughs for aid projects both in the UK and Africa.
The long list of famous faces included appearances by James Bond dreamboat James Craig and supermodel Elle McPherson.
Prime Minister Tony Blair even joined in the fun, putting on a Cockney accent and performing a comedy skit with famed British comedian Tate’s cheeky schoolgirl character, Lauren.Glam rock act The Killers and pop group Take That performed during the broadcast while British sensations The Sugababes and Girls Aloud opened the night with their Comic Relief single, a version of Run DMC and Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” All proceeds from the sales of the single have also gone to charity.Comic Relief was founded by a group of comedians who wanted to use comedy to get draw attention to the serious issues that poverty creates.Red Nose Day is a UK-wide fundraising event organized by Comic Relief every two years which encourages everyone to put all inhibitions aside, don a red clown nose and do something comedic to raise money for charity. The holiday culminates with the televised fundraising event.Proceeds from Red Nose Day support nearly 6,000 projects across the UK and more than 1,500 projects in 40 countries across Africa.
In its 21st year and 11th Red Nose Day Comic Relief has raised more than $825 million since it’s inception.
