There will be a number of celebrities participating at the introduction of Red Nose Day 2023. These celebrities include Sir Lenny Henry, Amanda Holden, Jay Blades, and AJ Odudu.
This year, the celebs are debuting a brand new version of the Red Nose, which was developed by Sir Jony Ive and will be supported by Richard Curtis, Greg James, and Vicky Pattinson.
On Friday, March 17, AJ will be joining David Tennant of Doctor Who, Joel Dommett, Paddy McGuinness, and Zoe Ball as hosts of the evening of entertainment that will be broadcast on BBC One in support of Red Nose Day.
In the meanwhile, Miranda Hart and Frankie Bridge are shown to be among the first people to try on the new noses in a series of pictures that are being used to announce the charity event.
Since its introduction in 1988, the recognisable red nose has undergone a series of transformations, the most significant of which was undertaken by Sir Jony Ive, the creative mastermind behind Apple products.
The Red Nose is nearly entirely made from plant-based materials. It begins as a little, flat crescent and springs into a stunning honeycomb-paper orb. The Red Nose is now for sale on Amazon.
Sir Jony said: ‘We’ve grown up with Comic Relief and are proud to support their remarkable work.
‘This new and seemingly simple Red Nose has been a fabulously complex little object to design and make and has involved our entire team.
‘We hope it brings a little moment of joy to everyone who wears one.’
According to what Richard had to say, “The Red Nose has always been a very small thing that makes a very big effect.” It has been on quite a trip over the past three decades and has altered in the most delightful ways. It started out as a rather unpleasant piece of plastic, but it has since been converted into a tomato, a sponge, and other forest themed animals.
‘Now we enter a new era and are delighted to bring you a completely new Red Nose to enjoy, thanks to our friend the design genius, Jony Ive.’
The screenwriter added: ‘One thing that will never change though, is that when you buy a Nose you help to change lives. We know times are tough for many people right now, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supports us this year.
‘We really hope you enjoy our new Nose and wear it with pride this Red Nose Day, knowing the difference you are making.’
Talking about the nose and previous hilarious sketches for the charity event, the Repair Shop star Jay shared: ‘What I love about the new Red Nose is it can double up as a Christmas decoration, imagine that! It’s all about sustainability. Don’t just throw it away after the one day, you can keep it until Christmas and remember what you’ve done.
‘Red Nose Day is just one big community. Everybody working together, helping those less fortunate than ourselves. It’s just something I had to be a part of.’
He continued: ‘Working with Dawn [French] and Jennifer [Saunders], and of course Dame Judi Dench on a Red Nose Day sketch is a special memory for me.
‘When Dawn and Jennifer both came in, they were basically straight into character. One second, they’re talking to me like normal, the next they’ve switched into character!
‘Then Dame Judi came in and was in full character too. It was the weirdest thing to see someone just change and do what they naturally do – but also proper special. I know it’s raising money for a good cause, but I’ve also got some really special memories and some really great friends from it too.
‘This year we all really need to come together, because it is going to be such a tough time. It was a tough time last year, and I think it’s going to be even tougher this year. So, we need to show our support for everybody – and that is just basically working together.’
In other news, Kylie Minogue will make a cameo appearance in a parody of the Ghosts sketch that will air before to the main event, and an unnamed celebrity will appear in a spoof of Love Island where they will play a contestant yearning for love.
Red Nose Day returns on Friday, March 17.