A tearful Davina McCall said the removal of a brain tumour was “the hardest thing” she had ever been through as she reflected on the experience during Red Nose Day’s 40th anniversary show.
The TV presenter – who underwent surgery in November – cried as she spoke of the support she received from her family and her partner Michael Douglas.
She was speaking during Comic Relief: Funny for Money, which saw performances from the Sugababes and a host of 80s stars as well as sketches involving the Gladiators and Strictly Come Dancing professionals.
As of 22:00 GMT, more than £32m had been raised for the charity.
BBC/Comic Relief/Hearst Magazines UK/ITV Studios/FreemantleSpeaking about her experience former Big Brother presenter McCall said: “I had a pretty mad year this year. Doctors found a benign brain tumour, by chance, and after a lot of deliberating, I had it removed.
“And it’s been, quite possibly, the hardest thing I’ve ever been through and this whole experience, weirdly, kind of weighing up all the risks and all the positive things about having this tumour removed made me think deeply about what life is all about, and what really, really matters when things get tough.”
To mark 40 years of raising money for charity some of the BBC’s biggest shows were parodied in sketches, including Strictly Come Dancing, Gladiators, Not Going Out and Beyond Paradise.
McCall was joined in Salford by fellow hosts Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, Joel Dommett, Alesha Dixon, Jonathan Ross, Tom Allen and AJ Odudu.
Taking the show back to the 80s – when Comic Relief was founded – the evening began with an 80s pop medley with Limahl from English band Kajagoogoo singing their hit Too Shy, before Carol Decker, from T’Pau, sang China In Your Hand.
BBC/Comic Relief 2025/Colin HopkinsSir Lenny Henry, co-founder of Comic Relief, reflected on the charity’s 40th anniversary: “I can’t believe Comic Relief is turning the big 4-0. In some ways it feels like 1985 was, like, yesterday,” he said in a pre-recorded message on Friday’s show.
Kurrupt FM’s self-appointed manager Chabuddy G then stepped into the Gladiators arena for an exclusive Red Nose Day showdown.
Comic Relief has helped support communities by providing food, healthcare and shelter to those most in need.
Celebrities have already been taking on challenges for Red Nose Day, and earlier, BBC Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing finished a 150-mile trip from London to Salford, raising more than £2m.
He hobbled on stage during the show to thank people for their donations.
“It was a long way, but it was an incredible journey. The people were amazing. The donations were amazing. You guys here are incredible,” he said.
Getty ImagesReality TV stars Pete Wicks and Vicky Pattison swapped their day jobs to be Amazon delivery drivers, to raise money for the charity.
Comedians Russell Kane and Rachel Parris portrayed Strictly Come Dancing’s first amateur professional dancers, selected due to the BBC One show’s “inclusivity rules, which require a certain percentage of professionals to be amateurs”.
They showed off their moves in a comical routine that appeared to impress the Strictly professionals, in a Miranda Hart-narrated clip.
There was an Inbetweeners reunion as James Buckley and Joe Thomas took on the roles of Liam and Noel Gallagher, in a parody charting their journey from Manchester lads to global rock superstars.
EastEnders worked with Comic Relief to produce a five-minute episode focusing on the character Phil Mitchell’s mental health and the importance of treatment.
Comedian Munya Chawawa headed to the West End to become actor Brian Cox’s new understudy in his critically acclaimed play, The Score.
You can catch up on all the Red Nose Day action on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Jordan Mansfield/Comic Relief
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