When is Comic Relief 2026? TV schedule, sketches and latest news
The fundraising extravaganza is fast approaching.
The biggest night of comedy, entertainment and fundraising in television is back, as Red Nose Day makes an epic return later this week.
Comic Relief: Funny for Money will once more be broadcast live from MediaCityUK in Salford, and for the very first time, live streamed simultaneously on the official BBC YouTube channel.
Davina McCall will return once more to front the extravaganza, and will be joined by Katherine Ryan, Nick Mohammed, Joel Dommett and Catherine Tate as Nan from The Catherine Tate Show as they get together to present a night of fun!
But when will it all be on TV? Read on for everything you need to know about Red Nose Day 2026!
When is Red Nose Day 2026?
Red Nose Day will air live on Friday 20 March on BBC One and iPlayer.
What time is Comic Relief 2026 on TV?
It'll be time to get funny for money at 7pm.
As ever, it'll be a fundraising extravaganza and will be live on air for a whopping three hours, drawing to a close at 10pm.
How to watch Red Nose Day 2026: TV schedule
Once more, Red Nose Day is packed with sketches and performances to raise money for Comic Relief, and here is a list of everything announced so far:
- The Bank Job, starring Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary
- Amandaland sketch bringing together some of TV's most notable Amandas
- The Traitors: The Movie sequel, starring Iain Stirling, Vicky Patison, Alison Steadman and Rachel, Stephen and Fiona
We'll keep this page updated as more sketches and musical performances are announced!
There will also be a raft of Red Nose Day-themed television prior to and after the big night and on the television to fundraise for Comic Relief.
The funny continues as Romesh Ranganathan hosts a special episode of Comic Relief Does The Weakest Link on BBC Two at 10pm. Facing questions will be six comedians all hoping to avoid the walk of shame.
On Saturday 21 March a special highlights show from the big night – Comic Relief: More Funny For Money – will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Over on BBC Two at 8:45pm, Comic Relief's Hits and Hidden Gems, will air, showcasing Red Nose Day's rich archive with much-loved performances from artists including Adele, One Direction and The Spice Girls, sitting alongside rarely-seen gems from Sam Smith and John Legend, Helen Mirren and Robbie Coltrane – and Alan Partridge channelling Kate Bush.
Since Friday 13 March, Greg James has embarked on an epic 1,000km endurance tandem cycle across the UK to raise life-changing funds for Red Nose Day. The BBC Radio 1 DJ will spend eight relentless days pushing himself to the limit, riding through England and Wales before crossing the finish line in Edinburgh on Friday 20 March. Listeners can tune into BBC Radio 1 and BBC Sounds throughout the week for Radio 1's Longest Ride with Greg James.
On Thursday 19 March, The One Show will air an exclusive preview of the biggest sketches and studio moments, including a behind-the-scenes trip to Amandaland and a live look at how rehearsals are going in Salford.
On Friday 20 March, Blue Peter will become Red Peter as they join in on the Red Nose Day fun in a special episode.
And finally, four digital creators – Ayame, Sarel, Victor Kunda and Specs Gonzalez – will come together to form a real band, stepping outside of their comfort zones and straight into the spotlight for a live performance in The Creator Band for Red Nose Day.
What is the Red Nose Day Amandaland sketch?
In what will be a hilarious sketch, Lucy Punch and Philippa Dunne will reprise their roles as Amanda and Anne in a short story that sees the duo invited to BBC Broadcasting house for an interview with Sara Cox.
But things don't go to plan...
Confirmed names to feature include Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, property expert Amanda Lamb, Coronation Street legend Amanda Barrie, TV presenter Amanda Byram and recent The Traitors contestant Amanda Collier.
Where can I buy Red Noses for Comic Relief 2026?
Amazon is once more the official home of the Red Nose and they can be purchased from just £2.50.
There is also a collector pack with a surprise nose for £12.50, or a multipack of 30 noses for £60.
Buy a Comic Relief Red Nose for £2.50 at Amazon
As well as red noses, there's other Red Nose Day merch to buy – from boxes of tissues to badges, and kitchen towel to bucket hats.
Red Noses are also available to buy at the Comic Relief shop.
A portion of the proceeds from the merchandise will go to Comic Relief to help its work to tackle poverty, provide food, healthcare and safe shelter for people in the UK and around the world.
Red Nose Day 2026 airs on Friday 20 March at 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Details on how to get involved this Red Nose Day can be found on the Comic Relief website.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
