In 1985, as a response to famine in Ethiopia and other poverty stricken areas of the world, British comedy scriptwriter, Richard Curtis and British comedian, Lenny Henry co-founded and co-created the British charity, Comic Relief. On February 8, 1988, Lenny Henry went to Ethiopia and celebrated the very first Red Nose Day Telethon. Over 150 celebrities and comedians participated. The event raised £15 million and attracted 30 million viewers on BBC television. The highlight of Comic Relief is Red Nose Day which raises funds for children in need, poverty alleviation and worldwide charities.
Red Nose Day USA
Starting initially in 2015, Red Nose Day in America is celebrated on the last Thursday of every May. Red Nose Day USA, run by Comic Relief Inc., has the stated objective of ending child poverty. Multi-year funding grants have been given to organizations that help end child poverty such as Feeding America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Save the Children and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In its first four years, the Red Nose Day USA has raised more than $145 million.
Red Nose Day 2017
Red Nose Day's 2017 campaign raised more than $35 million. Between 2015 and 2017, Comic Relief Inc raised more than $100 million through Red Nose Day. In 2017, Facebook used its new fundraising platform to help users raise money for Red Nose Day. Anyone who created a Red Nose Day event could add a donate button to any post. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matched up to $1 million of donations raised on Facebook. The NBC Telethon for Red Nose Day included special episodes for American Ninja Warrior, Celebrity Ninja Warrior: Red Nose Day; Running Wild with Bear Grylls with Julia Roberts; featuring celebrities and corporate sponsors for their activities, as well as standard telethon show hosted by Chris Hardwick.
Red Nose Day 2018
In 2018, Red Nose Day was held on May 24. The biggest campaign yet, Comic Relief Inc raised more than $42 million to end child poverty through Red Nose Day 2018. On NBC's night of programming celebrating Red Nose Day, Celebrity American Ninja Warrior, a Red Nose Day-themed Hollywood Game Night, and the Red Nose Day Special hosted by Chris Hardwick aired. Special guests included Ben Stiller, Olivia Munn, Anne Hathaway, Jane Lynch, and more appeared on stage. Pre-taped segments included Kelly Clarkson, Julia Roberts, Tony Hale, Lauren Graham, and more.
