Richard Curtis has reflected on one Comic Relief experience that he believes will not be replicated in 2023.
The renowned director and co-founder of the charity, which returns for its annual Red Nose Day telethon tonight on BBC One, has already worked with Hugh Grant, and he recalls the actor’s heated snog with Dawn French back in 1995.
As the two stars locked lips on TV during that year’s Comic Relief, the show took a hot and humorous turn, and she went on to smooch the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Johnny Depp in numerous sketches throughout the years.
Lorraine Kelly discussed the historic event with Richard on Friday’s broadcast of her ITV morning programme.
‘I don’t think that’d be allowed these days,’ he quipped.
‘I don’t think it would,’ Lorraine howled. ‘It was great, and Dawn just went for it! I love that!’
Richard, who has previously collaborated with Hugh on films such as Love Actually and Notting Hill, couldn’t help but poke fun at his regular collaborator as he confessed how much he enjoys working on Red Nose Day.
‘Just the feeling that you’re being a full blooded citizen. My feeling of life is that if you open a door to people being able to do the right thing, millions of people charge through it,’ he said.
‘I’m a real optimist and today’s just a mechanism. I’ve got a red nose here – every red nose that someone argues online. That’s a kind of weapon for good. It’s a lot more interesting than working with Hugh Grant, I can tell you that.’
Lorraine got in on the act, joking, ‘A lot more exciting than interviewing Hugh Grant, god love him!’ I interviewed him, and he was quite pleasant. Yet he is lovely and hilarious.’
Richard quickly added: ‘He’s done great stuff for us!’
While Richard doesn’t anticipate Hugh and Dawn’s moment to be recreated anytime soon, the Vicar of Dibley star recently confessed she turned down a pitch to kiss Harry Styles for the telethon.
Speaking in 2017 on Glamour’s Hey, It’s OK… podcast, she said: ‘The first suggestion that comes in to Comic Relief is “Who will you be kissing this year?” And they make some suggestions, like, somebody said “What about if we could get Harry Styles to kiss you?” ‘
However, she revealed: ‘They suggested Harry Styles and I went ‘No hang on, hang on everyone, stop. I’m nearly 60. This is very unseemly that Harry Styles will be forced into the studio with an old woman and have to kiss her hairy lips!’
She added: ‘When I kissed Hugh Grant [in 1995] we did make a million quid and the kiss did go on for forty minutes. It went on through the news. What did I catch?’
Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV. Comic Relief airs tonight (March 17) at 7pm on BBC One.
