Comic Relief is back for 2024 and the event will mark the last time Sir Lenny Henry hosts the charity show.

He co-founded the charity with director Richard Curtis back in 1985 and hosted the inaugural Comic Relief Red Nose Day telethon in 1988.

The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make the public laugh, while raising money to help people around the world and in the UK.

Donations to Comic Relief have surpassed £1.5bn with money raised each year helping to tackle poverty, provide food, healthcare and safe shelter for people in the UK and around the world, BBC News reports.

Why is Lenny Henry leaving Comic Relief?

Speaking to BBC Breakfast back in January this year Sir Lenny said he was stepping away from hosting Comic Relief to hand the reins over to a "new generation".

He explained: "There's all these new, wonderful comedians with podcasts and nine million followers, and those guys or women should be hosting Comic Relief now so that the young people and the new influx of viewers can plug into the next stage of Comic Relief, because there will be a next stage, and because we want to continue tackling issues of poverty and injustice.

"It's time to hand over the reins, as it were," he added.

Sir Lenny clarified he would continue to make special appearances and documentaries as part of the charity.

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How to watch the Red Nose Day broadcast 2024

This year's Red Nose Day telethon will broadcast on BBC One on Friday, March 15 from 7pm to 10pm.

One of the sketches that will feature on the show will include the cast of W1A reuniting as they attempt to find a new presenter to replace Sir Lenny on Comic Relief.

Additionally, at 10.40pm on the same night and channel 'Comic Relief: A Whole Lotta Lenny' will air.

This will take a look at Sir Lenny's decades-long stint hosting Red Nose Day.