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Sport Relief Raises Record Sum For Charity

First Posted: 24/03/2012 10:46 GMT Updated: 24/05/2012 11:12 BST   PA

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Comic sketches with athletes and feats of endurance from celebrities during a night of television dedicated to Sport Relief on the BBC has raised a record £50m.

The figure was announced at the end of the charity marathon at 1.30am.

Comic Miranda Hart battled Tim Henman in a tennis game that ended when she was 'knocked out' by her on-screen mother Patricia Hodge, while a one-off special of sitcom Outnumbered featured Frank Lampard and Christine Bleakley in an encounter with the Brockman family.

England footballers Rob Green, Glen Johnson, Theo Walcott and current captain Scott Parker took on Saturday Kitchen presenter and celebrity chef James Martin in a special edition of the BBC1 show's Omelette Challenge, with defender Johnson emerging as the winner - despite a few broken shells.

And fashion-mad duo Edina and Patsy also made a return to the small screen with a one-off special of Absolutely Fabulous, with Kate Moss, Stella McCartney, Linford Christie and Colin Jackson all putting in cameos in the sitcom.

Comedian Frank Skinner overcame a lifelong phobia of water by swimming 25 metres to raise money for Sport Relief. Skinner underwent eight weeks of physical and psychological training in order to finish the swim, which he completed despite what he described as "one of my little panics".

Other appearances included the stars of ITV comedy Benidorm on a special edition of Britain's Got Talent and performances from boyband JLS, Snow Patrol and LMFAO.

Host Fearne Cotton said: "What an amazing, stunning total. We always hope to beat the previous amount, but to do it so spectacularly is just incredible. Huge thanks to the British public who, once again, have shown enormous generosity to help those in need."

The total sum was confirmed as £50,447,197 which was £21 million more than the amount raised last year.

Stars doing their bit for charity...

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Stars do their bit for charity. Pictures: BBC

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Gary Lineker

Gary Lineker: I've Seen for Myself How Money Raised by Sport Relief Is Saving Lives

Sitting beside a woman in Bangladesh, watching the tears roll down her cheeks, I searched for some words of comfort. But none came. This bereaved mother, Hosna, was bravely recalling the day that her 11-year-old son, Emamul drowned in front of her very eyes. He was just playing beside a calm and still river bank when he fell in. He had no idea how to swim so, within minutes, he was gone. It goes without saying that Hosna's story is devastating. No mother should have to face the death of their child. But what I found most difficult to comprehend is that she's just one of 50 grieving mums who lose a child in this way every single day across Bangladesh alone.

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Reality always bites
Sometimes just a bit peckish
234 Fans
10:15 PM on 03/25/2012
For more than thirty years we have been told that a few pounds will finance the digging of a well so clean water is available to many people in countries such as Ethiopia.
Every year we are told about the shortage of clean water and that these poor souls have to walk miles there and back to obtain safe, clean water.
Where has the money gone that should have built the wells?
Why don't the people move to the areas where clean water is available?
Why are the British, already taxed almost out of existence; supplementing the aid that is given freely (On our behalf) by our government?
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esso man
66 Fans
11:56 PM on 03/25/2012
we all know where the money went,"LINEING some blxxk bxstxrds pockets,instead of helping those that are in desperate need of fresh clean-ish water,the reason they do not move is that they have to leave their only means of food,"their land" as they have no way of buying more,the answer to your last question is "WHO the bloody hell knows apart from them !! as its certainly not us !! that is the reason i refuse to give to any charity,plus less than 5% of the donation actually reach"s those of whom it was intended,most taken in ""ADMIN costs,& extortionate wages for the directors"
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gglost
2 Fans
01:48 PM on 03/25/2012
I am sure I read that only 50 per cent was going to charity so where is the other 50 per going. Into other peoples pockets no doubt.
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Kopite1763
2 Fans
12:41 PM on 03/25/2012
While I appreciate the fact some folk don't like the idea of money raised going to Africa, and not going to charities in the UK, if you think about it, where in the UK are young children dying because they haven't been vaccinated? Where in the UK are young children dying because they live near on in some cases by the side of raw sewage? Where in the UK are children as young as 6, living on the streets because both parents have died due to preventable illnesses?
Yes, charity does start at home, but can you really begrudge sending a few pounds to help these poor people?
One final comment....... The reason Comic Relief and now Sport relief raise so much money, a lot more than Children In Need, is not to do with the causes they support, but rather the shows put together are more watchable than CIN. Until the BBC get rid of Terry Wogan (who until recently, was taking a fee to host the show), it will never be as successful imo.
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jmt432p
108 Fans
01:29 PM on 03/25/2012
You totally missed the point of the argument. when you donate to Children in Need, Comic or Sports Relief, you have no idea where your money is going to, it could go to help some old woman keep warm in Aberdeen, it could go to a starving African kiddy but it is just as likely to go to illegal immigrants, creamed off by corrupt officials, spent by the charities admin of sent to a "looney black lesbian ban the bomb to save the disabled whale" group. You just don't know, don’t swallow the glam and hype of Sports Relief, go down your high street and give to a cause you really believe in.
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MsBubblyBlonde
Sassy,brassy,kiss my assy.
178 Fans
09:38 PM on 03/24/2012
I am proud of generous Brits but I wouldn't give one penny piece to Africa and it's charities..Start steralising their women and that will stop any further generations from starving.
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MsBubblyBlonde
Sassy,brassy,kiss my assy.
178 Fans
09:35 PM on 03/24/2012
Brits are ALWAYS generous when it comes to charities.Of that we should be very proud.
With things like children in need and sports relief I wonder how much of it actually filters it's way through to help genuine British charities?
I wouldn't give a penny to any African charities so I refuse to support these events and choose local hospices and animal charitities to give my money to.
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alanfinddlay1
82 Fans
09:14 PM on 03/24/2012
I never even watched it or gave any money. Until this country gets its priorities right. Does any British charity for this country actually exist or is that a thing of the past. Even this government gives billions away to other countries while its own people are struggling. Sorry but charity begins at home .
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jmt432p
108 Fans
04:34 PM on 03/24/2012
50% of the money goes abroad, that £25 million lining the pockets of the corrupt African governments. Let’s sort out our own problems before chucking yet more money we can ill afford at problems that are unsolvable abroad due to widespread mismanagement.
I wonder where this UK money is going. Some of the Comic Relief money went to helping pay the legal fees of illegal immigrants trying to say here! They kept that quiet didn’t they!
Instead of giving away cash just because a nano-celeb tells you to, ignore this ego-fest and give directly to a charity that you feel deserves it.
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jones the roof
0 Fans
07:46 PM on 03/24/2012
NOB!!!!
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jmt432p
108 Fans
08:16 PM on 03/24/2012
COCK!!! If you like giving money away because a crisp salesman tells you to then go ahead.
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joda51
29 Fans
03:41 PM on 03/24/2012
The poor man who lost his son, all for a fivers worth of medicine...world leaders should be asked to look/ watch at this programme...we...no..they spend millions on art?...weapons?...waste..and the innocents die....this is one world...why cant we all live the same life?....you see people in toyota trucks with all sorts of weapons...life is cheap to the leaders....WELL DONE TO SPORT RELIEF.
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kkeeler735
13 Fans
03:20 PM on 03/24/2012
instead of these celebrities doing things to raise money, how about them putting there hands in pockets and giving the same percentage of their cash as others do. would be raise more than 50 mil then
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BuxtonBlueCat
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40 Fans
 
02:39 PM on 03/24/2012
Just to say thank you for those who dedicated themselves to raise this money; hope those within UK are given 3/4 of the funding. When you hear the amount that we financial provide to rich countries such as India compared to UK people, it causes me a great concern that UK's life standards/health are last on the list - especially where Cameron and Company priorities.
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waddytog
97 Fans
04:08 PM on 03/24/2012
most of the sport relief money goes to africa, hope to see a breakdown of the sharing when it's over.
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MsBubblyBlonde
Sassy,brassy,kiss my assy.
178 Fans
09:43 PM on 03/24/2012
Hi...do they publish details of where every penny has gone once they have dished out the dough?
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