Comic Relief 2024: Emotional Sir Lenny Henry brands his 39-years hosting Red Nose Day an ‘honour and a privilege’ before his replacement is searched for a star-studded sketch

Sir Lenny Henry was left emotional as he described his 39 years as presenter of Comic Relief as an ‘honour and a privilege’ as he presented the show for the final time on Friday evening.

The 65-year-old was honored with a tribute from McFly as they performed their 2005 Red Nose Day single It’s All About You, before it was revealed that Sir Lenny had raised £1.5 billion since his first telethon in 1988.

Along with co-hosts Davina McCall and David Tennant, he said: ‘It’s been an honor and a joy and despite what McFly says, it’s not just about me, it’s about the mirth and the money, the comedy and the compassion.’

He took to the stage alongside Joel Dommett, Davina McCall, Paddy McGuiness, Maya Jama, David Tennant, Romesh Ranganathan and Rosie Ramsey.

The evening guarantees lots of fun with hysterical sketches from Lenny himself, Kate Winslet, Alan Partridge and an all-star cast who bring The Traitors: The Movie to life.

After the hosts took to the stage, McFly performed a medley of Comic Relief’s long list of charity singles.

The foursome performed numerous hits, including their own 2005 It’s All About You, before paying tribute to Sir Lenny on his final night.

The evening is already off to a good start after former singer and Radio 1 DJ Mollie King completed her incredible 310-mile bike ride on Saturday, reaching her £1million target.

He took to the stage alongside Joel Dommett, Davina McCall, Paddy McGuiness, Maya Jama, David Tennant, Romesh Ranganathan and Rosie Ramsey

The evening is already off to a great start after former singer and Radio 1 DJ Mollie King completed her incredible 310 mile bike ride on Saturday and reached her £1million target

Emotional Mollie was given a hero’s welcome by fiancée Stuart Broad and their 16-month-old daughter Annabella as she finished her story. marathon Red Nose Day charity bike ride on Friday afternoon.

After bursting into tears as she prepared to finish the stage in her late father’s hometown of Hull, Mollie was overwhelmed as the crowd cheered her across the finish line.

The mother-of-one made the epic journey from London to the East Riding of Yorkshire in memory of her late father Stephen, who died in 2022 from a brain tumor.

As a result, Mollie raised a whopping £1million for Comic Relief, saying after the challenge: ‘Oh my gosh, thank you everyone for stopping by.

‘I’m completely overwhelmed… I can’t believe we’ve raised £1 million. It was time for me to think of my father and know that he was making the journey with me.”

With just hours to go until the end of the challenge and as she approached the final destination of Hull, the birthplace of her late father, Mollie was overcome with emotion.

As she sat in the back of a car, Mollie sobbed: ‘It’s the first time in a while that I’ve been really proud of myself and I’m generally quite hard on myself but this is so much beyond what I’m physically capable of .

‘I’m not a strong person, but when I arrived on day five I thought: “Mol, you can be proud of yourself here.” This is crazy.’

Mollie lost her beloved dad Stephen to a brain tumor in November 2022, just days after welcoming her daughter Annabella with fiancé Stuart.

Mollie burst into tears just before completing her marathon attempt and learning how much she had raised

His death came as a huge shock after Mollie explained that he was fit and healthy before his diagnosis and had even completed the London Marathon.

On Wednesday morning, Mollie’s retired cricket fiance Stuart recognized her remarkable achievement.

Taking to Instagram, the former Nottinghamshire and England fast bowler, 37, posted a tribute, apparently from their daughter Annabella.

It read: ‘To my wonderful mum, good luck with your cycling challenge! I am so proud of you! I can’t wait to see you at the finish for a big hug.’

The post also included a photo of Annabella cut and pasted on a miniature bicycle made from cardboard and lollipop sticks.

Mollie’s co-host and friend Matt Edmondson accompanied her throughout the cycle and by the end of day three, on Wednesday evening, she had arrived in Manchester.

Greeted by fellow BBC radio 1 DJ Greg James and two friends dressed as a ‘fajita stuffed animal’, Mollie later headed into the studio to find out how much money she had raised so far.

“Mollie, as of a few minutes ago… Pedal Power has raised £256,114 for Red Nose Day,” Greg announced on Wednesday, leaving the TV personality completely shocked.

“Oh my god, I have no words,” Mollie exclaimed. ‘I have no words, thank you! I literally couldn’t do this…I couldn’t do it without you guys, your support.

“Oh my god, I’m out of words. I can’t tell you how important this money is.”

Mollie got choked up and said, “I’ve seen where the money goes. I have met people who have benefited so much from this money and it is changing lives.

‘It means people can be with their families longer. People can see their friends longer. It’s completely life-changing.’

The money raised by Red Nose Day will go to organizations helping to tackle homelessness, poverty and mental health, along with other causes in Britain and around the world.

It comes after Sir Lenny revealed he is ’emotional’ ahead of his latest Comic Relief after almost four decades at the helm.

The comedian and actor, 65, co-founded Comic Relief in 1985 with Love Actually screenwriter Richard Curtis and will continue to serve as life president.

Speaking to BBC News ahead of the evening, Sir Lenny said: ‘I think I’ll be incredibly proud because it’s been a huge part of my life and to see a new generation of people taking it forward – we’ve got Maya Jama, David Tennant , Romesh Ranganathan – So many people are coming to see it.

‘It will be fantastic to leave knowing that – I’m getting emotional now – there’s a new group of people taking over and treating it the same way we did.’

He also said: ‘This is a good time to part ways and give a new generation the opportunity to take over and kick things off a bit.’

It comes after Sir Lenny revealed he is ’emotional’ ahead of his latest Comic Relief after almost four decades at the helm

Sir Lenny said: ‘The money that people have sent in repeatedly, every time, has helped more than 100 million people.

“That’s a lot of people and there aren’t many organizations that can say that.”

He added: “If you helped with that, thank you and it’s not about numbers anymore.

“It’s about what you think you can give, because we know there’s a battle going on right now. People are having a hard time.’

This year’s show will also pay tribute to singer Jerub’s Sir Lenny, while the cast of parody comedy series W1A – including Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville and Spaced actress Jessica Hynes – will reunite on the evening to search for a new presenter.

BBC viewers will also see Hollywood actors including Julia Roberts, Olivia Colman, Hugh Grant and Liam Neeson make a special appearance to debate each other about being named the most famous in a comedy skit for the fundraising programme.

Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan and Catherine Tate will also provide entertainment on the evening, while pop rock band McFly will open the show with a medley of some of the best-loved Comic Relief singles of recent years.

Titanic star Winslet will treat viewers to a late-night CBeebies Bedtime Story, aimed at parents as she reads F***, Now There Are Two Of You by Adam Mansbach.

Actor Jack Black will also give a musical call to action and singer Paloma Faith will perform her new single Enjoy Yourself (The Red Nose Day Edition), while Doctor Who star Tate will be one of the stars in a spin-off of the BBC hit reality game show The Traitors, titled The Traitors: The Movie.