Comic Relief founder Sir Lenny Henry was honored on tonight’s episode of The One Show, with many famous faces appearing on the BBC program to surprise him. The Red Nose Day legend was first joined by Griff Rhys Jones, who helped him present the first-ever episode of the charity telethon back when he was a young, up-and-coming comedian.
Joining the studio live from his holidays, Griff was all smiles as he shocked Sir Lenny by appearing on the screen. Hosts Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas then went on to quiz the pair about what it was like to host the very first Comic Relief show.
“Griff, it’s so lovely to see you!” Sir Lenny exclaimed. “You were so great and patient with everybody on the day.”
He continued cheekily: “You were so annoyed with the links at one point that you jabbed a fork into your thigh, I remember.” As a clip of the pair presenting the first-ever episode in 1986 played in the background, Sir Lenny quipped: “I always thought that was above and beyond.”
“Look at you – enjoying yourself there!” Sir Lenny said in reference to the video. Jermaine then went on to ask Griff what hosting the show with Sir Lenny was like.
He responded: “The first one was, I think for all of us, the most chaotic thing we’ve ever done in our lives.
“While we were actually in the middle of talking and reading the auto-cue… The auto-cue itself would start changing.
“So Richard (Curtis) would be busy writing new things in for us and we would have to slightly change the words.
“Not only that, but sometimes we never knew what was coming up, so we would go: ‘Here’s a really hilarious thing…’ But then it would go: ‘Famine has broken out…'”
Sir Lenny and Griff’s easy back and forth left The One Show studio in stitches as they reminisced about the early days.
Comic Relief is a British charity founded by scriptwriter Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny in response to the famine in Ethiopia.
After 39 years of hosting the annual Red Nose Day telethon, Sir Lenny has said he will be stepping down this year because it is “time to hand on to the new generation”.
The purpose of Comic Relief is to get British comedians and other stars to make the public laugh, all while raising money to help people around the world and in the United Kingdom.
Comic Relief: Funny for Money will air this Friday from 7pm on BBC One.
The One Show airs weekdays from 7pm on BBC One, but will be replaced by the comedy telethon this Friday.
