Amanda Holden among stars fronting Comic Relief as Red Nose has 'makeover'

01 February 2023 , 00:01

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Amanda Holden among stars fronting Comic Relief as Red Nose has 'makeover'

The famous Red Nose for Comic Relief has undergone a "dramatic makeover" – its most drastic one since it first appeared in 1988.

This year, the nose which has been redesigned by former Apple boffin Sir Jony Ive has been made entirely from plant-based materials and will open up into a honeycomb paper sphere having started out as a flat crescent.

Money raised from this year's event will go towards helping those who are struggling with the ongoing cost of living, suffering from mental health and living in food poverty.

Diane Morgan has been drafted in by founders Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny Henry to appear in a short film to launch the new nose.

Amanda Holden is among a string of celebs who rocked the newly redesigned Comic Relief Red Nose (Comic Relief)

Adam Thomas also proudly showcased the new nose (Jake Turney/Comic Relief)

She compares the new nose to the Earth before saying it's "the most perfect nose in history".

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This year, the likes of Britain's Got Talent judge Amanda Holden, presenter AJ Odudu, Miranda Hart and Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas have proudly posed wearing the new nose ahead of Comic Relief.

Reflecting on the new nose, Richard told the PA news agency: "I hope they [the public will] love it, I hope they'll be greedy for it, I hope it'll become an absolutely mass, must-have item.

"I've got this motto in life, which is to make things happen, you have to make things and that's always been the sort of Comic Relief thing, so I hope it's a big hit."

Sir Lenny Henry and his Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis enlisted Sir Jony Ive to redesign the nose (PA)

Meanwhile, discussing what Comic Relief means to him, the screenwriter said: "It's been an enormous confirmation of the goodwill of the British public.

"I always believe that if you open a door, an easy door for people to do the right thing, then millions of people pour through it."

He continued: "And I think that all the comedians, so many actors, every year we shock ourselves by suddenly getting, you know, Dame Judi Dench and Benedict Cumberbatch to help us.

The new nose is made entirely from plant-based products (PA)

"But mainly the British public, with their generosity at every turn, in terms of fundraising, buying things and watching the TV show."

Meanwhile, Sir Jony Ive explained that he's "proud to support" Comic Relief, adding that the newly designed nose has been a "fabulously complex little object to design."

This year, the likes of Kylie Minogue will feature in a Ghosts sketch and a rather unexpected contestant on the search for love in a Love Island parody.

Red Nose Day returns on Friday, March 17 with Odudu joined by David Tennant, Joel Dommett, Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball as presenters on BBC One.

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