Comic Relief 2026: Red Nose Day show Funny For Money featuring Idris Elba, Alison Hammond and Katherine Ryan - how to watch

Sir Idris Elba, Alison Hammond and Katherine Ryan will feature in sketches during tonight's Red Nose Day show, Comic Relief: Funny For Money on Friday (March 20). The charity programme will feature a number of live performances, sketches and celebrity cameos, hosted by Davina McCall, who will be joined by Ryan along with comedians Nick Mohammed, Joel Dommett and Catherine Tate.

In a skit entitled The Bank Job, Sir Idris appears alongside a gang of celebrities - including TV presenters Hammond and Dermot O’Leary and comedian Chris McCausland - as they attempt a heist to raise money for Comic Relief.

Elsewhere, a number of actors, comedians and celebrities portray the recent series four cast of hit BBC reality gameshow The Traitors. Titled The Traitors: The Movie – The Sequel, the sketch features Pushing Daisies actress Anna Friel who will play presenter Claudia Winkleman with series winners, Rachel and Stephen, played by reality TV star Vicky Pattison and comedian Iain Stirling respectively.

Singer Fleur East will also join the roundtable along with former Emmerdale star Lewis Cope and Gavin and Stacey actress Alison Steadman.

Withering Heights, a parody of the recently released Emerald Fennell film adaptation of Wuthering Heights, will also air during the appeal show, revealing the “audition tapes” of comedians Ryan and Jon Richardson for the roles of Cathy and Heathcliff.

The evening will also see an Amandaland-inspired sketch which follows Amanda, played by Lucy Punch, and Anne, played by Philippa Dunne as they arrive for a special interview with BBC Radio 2’s Sara Cox. Chaos ensues as they unexpectedly bump into some of TV’s most beloved Amandas including presenter Amanda Holden, former Coronation Street actress Amanda Barrie, and the Traitors series four star Amanda Collier.

A series of appeal films, including one fronted by Welsh actor Michael Sheen, will be played during the show, reminding viewers of the purpose of Red Nose Day and how donations help support people in the UK and beyond.

:: Comic Relief: Funny For Money will air live on BBC iPlayer and BBC One from 7pm on Friday (March 20), and for the first time will also be livestreamed on the official BBC YouTube channel.