Comic Relief: Tonight'sTop Telly Night!

Despite the economic doom and gloom the public pulled out all the stops to Do Something Funny for Money for Red Nose Day 09 - raising a spectacular £80 million.

Lenny Henry said: "What a brilliant achievement! Everyone across the UK whether in schools, offices, homes or the blummin' pub should be immensely proud of how much they've raised for Red Nose Day. It's corking to see the nation united in making a difference to the lives of people who need it most, both here in the UK and Africa. Massive Respect UK-YOU RULE!"

Kevin Cahill, Chief Executive of Comic Relief, said: "We've been bowled over by this extraordinary result. Even at a time when the British public may have been worrying about their own situation they came together to make a real difference to those whose lives are even tougher. Everyone who took part deserves a huge thank you. It is now our job to spend the money as well as we can and to report back on what we do with it."

Already, Comic Relief has invested £6.3m of the money raised to help protect over one million people in Africa from malaria. The money will be used to purchase and distribute more than one million long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets, educate people to spot the symptoms of malaria early and to support health services enabling people living in malaria-affected communities to be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively.

Comic Relief will spend all the money raised through Red Nose Day 09 to help extremely poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the UK and Africa turn their lives around.

Sport Relief 2010 will be taking place 19th to 21st March. For more information go to www.sportrelief.com