It came as Sir Lenny Henry broke down in tears as he looked back at his 39 years of hosting Comic Relief while presenting the show for a final time on Friday night.
It was revealed the comedian, 65, had helped raise a whopping £1.5B since his first telethon in 1988 and was joined by A-listers including Julia, 56, and Paul, 54.
They weren’t alone as Hollywood heavyweights Olivia Colman, Emma Thompson, and Hugh Grant also joined to thank Lenny for his service.
Comic Relief this year was hosted by an ensemble team which included Maya Jama, and Alex Scott, David Tennant.
Comic Relief on Friday night saw Hollywood actors Julia Roberts, 56, (pictured) and Paul Rudd, 54, appear in the show via video link
It came as Sir Lenny Henry broke down in tears as he looked back at his 39-years of hosting Comic Relief while presenting the show for a final time on Friday night
It was revealed the comedian, 65, had helped raise a whopping £1.5B since his first telethon in 1988 and was joined by A-listers including Julia and Paul (pictured)
Fans
It is Lenny’s final stint hosting Red Nose Day after almost four decades at the helm.
The comedian and actor co-founded Comic Relief in 1985 alongside Love Actually screenwriter Richard Curtis and will continue to serve as life president.
Who are the Red Nose Day presenters?
Maya Jama
Alex Scott
David Tennant
Romesh Ranganathan
Joel Dommett
Davina McCall
Paddy McGuinness
Rosie Ramsey
Sir Lenny said: ‘The money that people have sent in repeatedly, every single time, has helped over 100 million people.
‘That’s a lot of people and there aren’t many organisations that can say that.’
He added: ‘If you’ve helped to do that, thank you and it’s not about numbers any more.
Lenny has been dating theatre director Lisa Makin for over a decade since his marriage to Dawn French ended in divorce.
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.
There will also be tributes to Sir Lenny from singer Jerub, while the cast of spoof comedy series W1A – including Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville and Spaced actress Jessica Hynes – will reunite on the night to search for a new host.
This year’s edition also saw Hollywood actors including Julia Roberts, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant and Liam Neeson make an special appearance to argue among each other to be named the most famous in a comedy sketch for the fundraising programme.
The actors performed a skit and were joined by fellow Hollywood heavyweights Olivia Colman (pictured), Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant
Emma, 64 will soon appear in American action thriller The Fisherwoman with comedic actress Judy Greer
Hugh, 63, is currently appearing in American political satire series The Regime with Kate Winslet on HBO
Titanic star Kate, 48, treated Comic Relief viewers to a late-night CBeebies Bedtime Story catered to parents as she read F***, Now There Are Two Of You by Adam Mansbach
Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan and Catherine Tate also provided entertainment on the night while pop rock band McFly will open the show with a medley of some of the most-loved Comic Relief singles from the last few years.
Titanic star Kate, 48, treated viewers to a late-night CBeebies Bedtime Story catered to parents as she read F***, Now There Are Two Of You by Adam Mansbach.
Actor Jack Black also issued a musical call to action and singer Paloma Faith will performed her new single, Enjoy Yourself (The Red Nose Day Edition).
Doctor Who star Catherine Tate was among the stars in a spin-off of the BBC’s hit reality game show The Traitors, entitled The Traitors: The Movie.
