When is Red Nose Day 2022? Date of Comic Relief, how to watch - and where to buy official noses and t-shirts

It is officially that time again where you’ll be seeing friends, family and even celebrities sporting the iconic Red Nose Day nose in a bid to raise money for Comic Relief.

Since its inception in 1985, Comic Relief has raised over £1 billion - this is everything you need to know about Red Nose Day 2022 and how to get involved.

What is Red Nose Day and Comic Relief?

First, we need to clarify the difference between Red Nose Day and Comic Relief - it can be easy to get Red Nose Day and Comic Relief mixed up as the two are so interconnected, and often used interchangeably by some.

In short, Comic Relief is a charity and Red Nose Day is an annual campaign run by said charity.

Comic Relief is a major UK charity which aims to “create a just world, free from poverty” and to “drive positive change through the power of entertainment”. It was founded by Richard Curtis and Lenny Henry in 1985.

Red Nose Day is an annual televised event which strives to raise money for the charity.

The very first Red Nose Day was held in 1988, when over 30 million people tuned in to watch Blackadder - the Cavalier Years and The Young Ones on University Challenge. It raised a whopping £15 million.

In 1989, over 20 million people around the UK took part in over 70,000 activities for Red Nose Day to raise £26.9 million.

When is Red Nose Day?

Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day will kick off today, Friday 18 March 2022, which is the same date that the public is encouraged to get involved to support the charity.

The telethon will be aired live on BBC One, with the option to catch up on the BBC iPlayer if you miss it.

It has been announced that Sir Lenny Henry, David Tennant, Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball will be hosting the annual Red Nose Day show, and will also be joined by a number of famous faces.

Included in the Red Nose Day schedule is:

• Maya Jama will host a one-off Red Nose Day celebrity special of Glow Up
• Five celebrities will star in an exclusive series of Cbeebie’s Bedtime Stories
• Tim Vine and Kiri Pritchard-McLean will try their hands at sheep dog training for Countryfile 
• The One Show’s Red Nose and Spoon Race will be back again this year and bigger than ever

Comic Relief co-founder, Sir Lenny Henry, said: "The spirit of Red Nose Day is for everyone to get involved and to get the vibe of helping someone else that they don’t know, it’s always been that and what could be better?"

“I’ve been inspired by so many people and it’s usually members of the public who do extraordinary things.

“I’m always amazed by how dedicated and passionate the people that run the projects are - both in the developing world and in this country – to help better the lives of so many.

“So, to anybody who has fundraised to support these life changing projects, I personally thank you because we wouldn’t be able to do this stuff without you guys. You are the people that inspire me."

How does the money get used?

The money raised for Comic Relief goes towards making a difference to the lives of millions around the UK and the world, with a focus on helping people break free from poverty, violence and discrimination.

Over the past two years, Comic Relief funding has helped to support 11.7 million people, including:

• More than 750,000 people in the UK experiencing financial and material poverty to access advice and support
• More than 29,000 people who have experienced or are at risk of domestic abuse to access safe accommodation and specialist services
• More than 46,000 children and young people in the UK, and more than 8.1 million internationally  

The Comic Relief site says:

• £30 could support a child in Uganda to access early years education for a whole year
• £50 would pay to get 200 meals to vulnerable children and families in the UK
• £100 could provide four counselling sessions for a new parent in the UK experiencing mental health problems

You can find out more about where the money raised for Comic Relief goes on the Comic Relief website. 

Where can I buy Red Nose Day noses and t-shirts?

It wouldn’t be Red Nose Day without the iconic red nose accessory - and this year’s bunch has been described as the “wildest yet”. There are eight noses to track down, including the rare nose Cam the colourful chameleon.

You can buy one red nose from the Comic Relief online shop for £1.50, although you should be aware that you cannot choose which nose you want but you are instead ordering a mystery red nose box.

Alternatively you can order a box of red noses for £60, or a box of red noses for schools starting at £20.

As well as red noses, there are loads of other pieces of merchandise you can buy instead, including water bottles, wrist bands, keyrings, lanyards, t-shirts, aprons and more.

Official items will also be available through Sainsbury’s, Argos and TK Maxx.

TK Maxx has also teamed up with 11 artists to create a limited edition Red Nose Day collection which includes t-shirts, aprons, tote bags, notebooks, tea towels, prints, greeting cards and art cards.

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