Sport Relief Raises Record Sum For Charity

Sport Relief Raises Record Sum For Charity

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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