Red Nose Day 2024: how much raised, Comic Relief total so far - what is the most Red Nose Day has ever raised?

Sir Lenny Henry has announced the eye-watering total sum raised by Comic Relief's Red Nose Day.

Friday (March 15) night saw the return of the hilarious charity telethon, with McFly opening the show with hits including Walk This Way by Run-DMC featuring Aerosmith, One Way Or Another by Blondie, Uptown Girl by Billy Joel and the group’s hit song All About You.

Davina McCall and Henry were joined by co-hosts including: Love Island presenter Maya Jama, Doctor Who star David Tennant, actor and comedian Romesh Ranganathan, The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett, Take Me Out star Paddy McGuinness and podcaster Rosie Ramsey. Whilst Hollywood actors including Julia Roberts, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant and Liam Neeson also made guest appearances.

This year marks Henry's final year hosting Red Nose Day after he revealed earlier this year he would be stepping down as presenter. The 65-year-old, who was born in Dudley, co-founded Comic Relief in 1985 alongside Love Actually screenwriter Richard Curtis and whilst he won't feature in a public role as host, Henry will continue to serve as life president.

So, what is the Red Nose Day 2024 total so far and what is the most Red Nose Day has ever raised? Here's everything you need to know.

How much did Red Nose Day 2024 raise?

Red Nose Day 2024 has raised more than £37 million so far. Henry revealed the final total sum during the show on BBC One, telling viewers: "Red Nose nation. Your generosity has brought tonight’s total, so far, to a phenomenal £37,019,832." The first total of the night was revealed to be £21,700,628.

Money raised by Red Nose Day goes towards organisations helping to tackle homelessness, poverty and mental health along with other causes in the UK and throughout the world. Comic Relief is a UK charity that aims "to help put food on plates, roofs over heads and keep little ones safe".

Reflecting on Henry’s legacy as the co-founder of Comic Relief, McCall told the British TV star that he was "irreplaceable." She continued: "On behalf of all of us here tonight, and of course the entire nation, I’ve got to say you are 100% totally, utterly – am I right when I say – he’s irreplaceable."

Henry said: "I don’t want to make too much fuss, it’s been an honour and a joy… it’s so not about me, it’s about the mirth and the money, it’s about comedy and compassion."

Celebrating those Sir Lenny has helped, Doctor Who actor David Tennant announced a “surprise”, telling Henry he would see "some familiar faces from across the years" in the audience as he read the names of individuals who had been helped by Comic Relief.

The whole audience then got to their feet after McCall asked anyone whose lives had been positively impacted by Sir Lenny and Comic Relief to stand up. Turning to look at the standing audience members, Henry said: "It’s lovely to see you all, thank you so much."

McCall replied: "We could’ve filled a thousand studios with people that you and Comic Relief have helped."

What is the most Red Nose Day has raised?

The highest ever on the night total raised for Comic Relief's Red Nose Day was £74,360,207 on Friday, March 18, 2011, whilst last year in 2023, Red Nose Day raised £35,310,407.

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.