What goes on behind the scenes of Comic Relief?

With Comic Relief just around the corner, we caught up with BBC Studios' Showrunner, Peter Davey and Executive Producer, Colin Hopkins about what it takes to plan such an event, their favourite moments and the legacy of Comic Relief.

Tell us how the planning process for Comic Relief starts

Peter Davey: It all starts with a review of the last show around one week after. We take a look at everything, from what worked well, to what didn’t. We also look at how people engaged with our appeals and take on any criticism that comes from the audience. Once all that’s sorted, we get the studio booked and take a look at what’s going to be on air around the same time. We always want to make sure that Comic Relief takes in as many BBC shows as possible. So, we knew that Alan Partridge was going to be on and knew we’d have to get him doing something.

Colin Hopkins: Yeah, we tend to get a lot of ideas on the table early on. We know that some of them won’t always come through for that year, but we can always keep them in the bank for the next year. We also get in touch with production companies early on, because we’ve got a limited budget we try and fit in with their filming schedules because sit-com, dramas and musicals are expensive to do, so we like to work with the production companies to see where we can squeeze in.

Most of our sketches are actually filmed between January and March. As you can imagine, that’s quite full on, we’re filming one or two sketches a week up until the show - we just finished the last sketch on Sunday!

How do you keep the live show running on time?

CH: We always go into the show with time in hand, knowing that whatever happens, we need to be ready for the News At Ten. We make sure that we also have things we can move, so if we can’t fit it into the first part, we can move it to the post-news slot. Appeals will always stay where they were planned, but things like menus and VTs showing what’s coming up can all be moved to save time.

PD: Totally, it’s all about having a contingency. We know we can drop VTs and replace them with verbal links to save time. It’s all about experience and making sure the team all know what they are doing and are constantly talking to each other.

CH: Communication is key. Me and Peter will be in the gallery, getting an overview of everything that’s going on and what’s working well, while Richard Curtis and a producer will be down on the floor. The four of us are in constant communication with each other, checking if we need to change the auto-cue or anything else.

How do you come up with the challenges - who chose to revisit Mount Kilimanjaro?

PD: We’re always looking at anniversaries. So with Mount Kilimanjaro, it had been 10 years since we first attempted it, so it was the perfect time to go back. I think it was the Comic Relief charity that approached the BBC Studios factual team, they were brilliant at quickly pulling a fantastic cast together and getting it all going. People love seeing these types of challenges, they always do well and we can’t wait to see how people react to this new cast climbing the mountain!

How do you encourage celebrities to take part in the challenge?

PD: We don’t really have to encourage people to take part. It always surprises me how committed people are to Comic Relief and the things that they’re willing to do. David Walliams always springs to mind when I think about all of the things he’d done.

Richard is always being approached by people who want to do their bit for Comic Relief and offer up their own ideas. People always want to get involved, especially if they’ve never done it before and they’ll do what they can, unless they physically can’t get in into their diary.

This year we’ve got a Bodyguard sketch. We wanted something from them and they’re all very busy - Jed’s working on Line Of Duty and being courted by Hollywood - so we didn’t know if it was going to happen. But he was more than happy to get involved, he wrote a bespoke script, we got some of the cast back together and they all loved being there.

What do you think the lasting legacy of Comic Relief is?

CH: I think the lasting legacy will be the change it’s made across the world. Obviously, if you ask anyone about Comic Relief, they’ll talk about the sketches, but the real legacy is what it’s achieved in tackling Malaria, poverty and hunger around the world. What we really want is a time when all of these problems are solved and Comic Relief is no longer needed.

PD: There are two things that I think make the lasting legacy. First I think it’s the amount of money raised, £1.25 billion over 34 years! That’s a lot of money and a lot of people helped. The second is that it shows that whatever’s happening in the UK, people come together and are generous. Even in such a fractious time, the British people are willing to sit down and donate. That’s what I’m looking forward to on Friday, the end of the night when we announce the final figure.

Finally, what’s your favourite ever Comic Relief moment?

CH: 2015 is the year that stands out for me. That was the moment we reached £1 billion! I remember being stood there holding the cue card with ‘£1,000,000,000’ written on it and I felt so lucky. There aren’t many jobs where you can work with such incredible, hard-working people.

PD: My favourite moment happened this year, actually. I sent a couple of lines to Jed Mercurio for the Bodyguard sketch and he kept them in! But, in all seriousness, the time when we announce how much we’ve raised that evening is the best. It gets me every time.

Don't forget to watch Comic Relief on Friday 15 March from 7pm-10pm on BBC One, 10pm-10.35pm on BBC Two and back to BBC One from 10.35pm-12.30am.