Comic Relief 2011 - My Best Bits

Earlier this month, I blogged here and here about my Comic Relief favourite moments from the past 26 years from the release of the first charity single between Cliff Richard and the Young Ones, the first Red Nose Day in 1988 and the present day.

Well, I felt it only right to bring that up-to-date with my favourite moments from this year's festivities which culminated in the record breaking £74m raised for charity on the night alone.

A World Record
For the days running up to Red Nose Day, March 18th itself, Radio One stalwarts Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave set a new world record for a radio show of 52 hours. I'm not a Radio 1 fan - I'm more of a Radio 2 or Classic FM kinda guy so imagine my surprise at finding myself glued to the BBC Red Button channel 301, watching great chunks of this record attempt being played out in front of my eyes.

They raised a whopping £2.6m for Comic Relief from their attempt alone. Staggering. Here's the moment when they broke the World Record...



Another Red Nose Day hit was 'Smithy saves Red Nose Day 2011' . The Gavin & Stacey star teamed up with George Michael and stars from the entertainment and sporting world (and Gordon Brown!) for a hillarious sketch around possibly the biggest table ever!



Then there was the Alan Partridge sketch. Here he is he on North Norfolk Digitial Radio's Mid-Morning Matters supporting Comic Relief in his own inimitable way!





I must admit that I enjoyed the Masterchef spoof with Ruby Wax, Miranda Hart, Claudia Winkleman and David Cameron!





We also saw Andy Murray being Outnumbered!



But my highlight? Easy. Another masterstroke from the genius that is Peter Kay and his alter ego Geraldine McQueen. Dueting with Susan Boyle, they covered the 1980s Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson hit.

Currently at No.11 in the charts, 'I Know Him So Well'.

Well done Comic Relief - you've played another blinder!

Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episode 12)

Following on from my recent blog posts about the return of the comic leg-end that is Alan Partridge to our airwaves, we continue with the series.

He's back hosting Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio (with new sidekick Zoe Scott).

Episode 12 demonstrates that Alan has no idea what 'Uggs' means in modern parlance and if you give him 6 months notice, he can can borrow you a Range Rover 'like that'!

Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episode 11)

Following on from my recent blog posts about the return of the comic leg-end that is Alan Partridge to our airwaves, we continue with the series.

He's back hosting Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio (with new sidekick Zoe Scott).

Episode 11 sees Alan playing 'forced celebrity breeding'. Ideas include Stephen Hawking with Pamela Anderson and Kylie Minogue with David Dickinson . He also hosts agony aunt Polly Maplin from the Norfolk Herald during which Alan admits his equicidal episode..

Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episode 10)

Following on from my recent blog posts here, here and here about the return of the comic leg-end that is Alan Partridge to our airwaves, we continue with the series.

He's back hosting Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio (with sidekick Simon).

I'm now up-to-date with the series so here is the 10th installment.

Episode 10 sees Alan playing meet an internet entrepreneur and gets a call from the Inland Revenue for massaging his earnings live on Radio...

Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episodes 7-9)

Following on from my recent blog posts here and here about the return of the comic leg-end that is Alan Partridge to our airwaves, we continue with the series.

He's back hosting Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio (with sidekick Simon).

Here are the next 3 installments that will bring us bang up to date.

Episode 7 sees Alan playing 'on-line Battleships', 'what is Alan firing his friend's air rifle into?' and an Alan Partridge interview with....Alan Partridge. Who was his toughest interview? Desmond Tutu! His favourite TV show? Deal or No Deal!



Episode 8 sees Alan stand-in for Eddie Sheperd on North Norfolk Today in his own inimitable, bombastic manner! In it he interviews a local Tory Councillor (the former Mrs Brittas from the Brittas Empire!) and does a turn as Jeremy Paxman!



Episode 9, the latest in the series sees Alan's tounge twister phone-ins (but only for the under 7s). Alan also meets with a survival and naturalist expert who in a former life served in Afghanistan (and we all know of Alan's fascination with hand-to-hand combat!) and explains a situation where the RSPB could become a radicalised home-grown terrororist cell! Alan's own tounge twister - "Tackle Tough Taliban Terrorists To Topple Totalitarian Tyrants"

The important question....'did that man hurt the Muppet'?!
The important answer...Bill Oddie in not dead!

Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episodes 4-6)

Following on from yesterday's blog post here about the return of the comic leg-end that is Alan Partridge to our airwaves, we continue with the series.

He's back hosting Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio (with sidekick Simon).

Here are the next 3 installments.

Episode 4 sees Alan wine-tasting live on air...

Epioside 5 sees an impromptu Sad Story and Alan's take on the Japanese.



Episode 6 tells us that Alan's middle name is Gordon (!), gives us the result of his Piper poll and the excellent discussion on King and cars.

Alan Partridge is Back with Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episodes 1-3)

I love my comedy and it doesn't get much more surreally entertaining than the leg-end that is Alan Partridge.

Now admittedly, Armando Iannucci and Steve Coogan's famed concoction isn't to everyone's taste but he certainly is to mine. Alan Partridge and his Knowing Me, Knowing You chatshow and 2 subsequent series made him in my book, one of the greatest comic creations of the 1990s.

But until today, I was wholly unaware that Alan is still going strong in 2011!

He's now hosting Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio (with sidekick Simon).

For anyone like me who wasn't aware of his return, beginning back in November, here are the first 3 episodes.

I'm glad to say that he hasn't changed one bit!



Here's episode 2...



Here's episode 3, oddly enough, released 7 days before Bernard Matthews died...



More from Alan Partridge and sidekick Simon soon...