The stars come out for a packed night of laughs for Comice Relief
The stars come out for a packed night of laughs for Comic Relief
Tonight, a wealth of big stars are doing something funny to raise money for this commendable cause.
The cast of Four Weddings and a Funeral have RSVP’d to Red Nose Day and a Wedding, a short sequel to the 1994 film; Jennifer Saunders (pictured above) has recruited Carey Mulligan for her musical send-up Mamma Mia Here We Go (Yet) Again; and Alan Partridge’s Outside Broadcast sees Steve Coogan’s foot-in-mouth character trying to organise a giant conga line.
There’s even a celebrity version of University Challenge on offer, with Martin Freeman and Rob Rinder (BBC2, 10pm). A perfect blend of charity and comedy.
TV Times rating: *****
It’s been two years since film-maker Richard Curtis brought the stars of Love Actually back together for a memorable one-off sequel for Comic Relief.
Now, fans of his other classic romcom, Four Weddings and a Funeral, will be excited to hear he’s persuaded its stars, including Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell, to make a special Red Nose Day follow-up.
It’s set to be the highlight of Comic Relief night, which kicks off on Friday on BBC1 from 7pm.
TV Times caught up with star Sophie Thompson, 57, who reprises her role as Lydia, to find out more…
What was your reaction when you heard about the reunion?
I remember being so delighted. Just getting to be a part of Comic Relief feels like such an honour, but in this instance it was a ridiculous honour with knobs on and bells and whistles!
It must have been tough to get you all back together…
Yes, it was extraordinary! It was filmed over two days and, actually, the only people who weren’t there were Charlotte Coleman, who, very sadly, died so young, and Simon Callow, whose character died in the film.
Apart from that, all the original cast were there. There was a lot of giggling and people thinking, ‘This is just ridiculously wonderful, aren’t we lucky?!’
How has Lydia changed?
Well, she’s had about seven children with Bernard! She absolutely adores Bernard and he’s as faithful as anything.
I’d say it’s the other way around, too; they were so lucky to find each other! Of course, Lydia and Bernard’s children were all played by Richard Curtis’ real-life children. It was a real family affair!
