Editing Comic Relief (section)

==Criticism==
There has been some concern about the lack of [[gender equality]] in the causes supported by Comic Relief, with much funding going to politicised women's charities or charities focusing on women. Writing in ''[[The Spectator]]'', Ross Clark raised the question, 'Why do all these women's charities...feel the need to disguise their fundraising in the prat-fest that is Comic Relief, rather than appealing directly to the public?' He added, 'Are they worried that if the British public realised where their money was going, they would be less inclined to be so generous?'<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/comic/read-the-small-print-before-you-donate/ |title=Read the small print before you donate |work=The Spectator |location=UK |access-date=2 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325201532/https://www.spectator.co.uk/comic/read-the-small-print-before-you-donate/ |archive-date=25 March 2017  }}</ref>

The [[British Stammering Association]] criticised comedian Lenny Henry over his opening sketch for the 2011 telethon, during which he spoofed the film ''[[The King's Speech]]'' and grew impatient with [[Colin Firth]] in his portrayal of [[King George VI]] as he stammered over his speech. ''The Sun'' reported that the British Stammering Association had branded the sketch as 'a gross and disgusting gleefulness at pointing out someone else's misfortune'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a310070/lenny-henry-criticised-for-speech-spoof.html| title=Lenny Henry criticised for 'Speech' spoof | website= Digital Spy| access-date=21 March 2011 | author=Ryan Love | year=2011}}</ref>

In December 2013, an edition of the [[BBC One]] series ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' pointed out that between 2007 and 2009, millions of pounds donated to Comic Relief had been invested in funds, which appeared "to contradict several of its core aims", with shares in tobacco, alcohol and arms firms.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25273024#TWEET979838 | work=BBC News | title=Comic Relief money invested in arms and tobacco shares | date=10 December 2013}}</ref>

The 2017 event was strongly criticised by viewers for various technical issues, glitches and having two adult-orientated skits shown before the 9&nbsp;pm [[Watershed (broadcasting)|watershed]], one where [[Vic Reeves]] showed a fake [[Human penis|penis]] to ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]'' presenter [[Susanna Reid]], and another featuring a scene in which presenter [[Graham Norton]] asks model [[Cara Delevingne]] why she had sex on a [[Airline|plane]]. The event was also criticised for two pre-watershed instances of [[profanity]], one involving a [[Mrs. Brown's Boys]] skit where the titular character does a [[V sign]] (a gesture that is deemed profane in the United Kingdom), and another involving [[Russell Brand]] after a technical blunder caused him to swear and say "[[Fuck]]" after being cut off.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/03/25/worst-comic-relief-ever-seen-dire-moments-bbcs-red-nose-day/ | title='This is the worst Comic Relief I've ever seen': The dire moments from BBC's Red Nose Day 2017 | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=25 March 2017 | last1=Power | first1=Ed }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/03/27/ofcom-considers-comic-relief-probe-swearing-sound-complaints/ | title=Ofcom considers Comic Relief probe after swearing and sound complaints | newspaper=The Telegraph | date=27 March 2017 }}</ref> In total 338 complaints were made to [[Ofcom]], however the regulator chose not to investigate because the comedy sketches "were inexplicit and consistent with the live, unpredictable format of this established charity programme", whilst recognising that some "were not to everyone's taste".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-04-24 |title=Comic Relief complaints won't be investigated by Ofcom |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39694443 |access-date=2023-04-17}}</ref>

In 2017, a video featuring [[Ed Sheeran]] meeting and rescuing a child in Liberia for Comic Relief was criticised as 'poverty porn' and was given the 'Rusty Radiator' award for the 'most offensive and stereotypical fundraising video of the year'.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ed-sheeran-comic-relief-poverty-porn-aid-watchdog-a8091016.html |title=Ed Sheeran's Comic Relief film labelled 'poverty porn' by aid watchdog|first=Jack |last=Shepherd |date= 4 December 2017|work=The Independent }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42268637 |title=Did Ed Sheeran commit 'poverty tourism' in charity film? |first= Flora|last= Drury|work=BBC News|date=7 December 2017 }}</ref>

Writing in [[The Guardian]] in 2017, Labour MP [[David Lammy]] argued that Comic Relief perpetuated problematic [[stereotypes of Africa]], and that they had a responsibility to use its powerful position to move the debate on in a more constructive way by establishing an image of African people as equals.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Lammy|first=David|date=2017-03-24|title=Africa deserves better from Comic Relief {{!}} David Lammy|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/24/africa-comic-relief|access-date=2020-10-29|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In 2018, in response to Lammy's comments and the backlash to Sheeran's video, Comic Relief announced they would take steps towards change by halting their use of celebrities for appeals.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McVeigh|first=Karen|date=2018-03-23|title=Comic Relief to ditch white saviour stereotype appeals|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/23/comic-relief-to-ditch-white-saviour-stereotype-appeals|access-date=2020-10-29|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

However, in February 2019, Lammy also criticised [[Stacey Dooley]] for posting on social media about her trip to [[Uganda]] for Comic Relief, saying that 'the world does not need any more [[white saviour]]s', and that she was perpetuating 'tired and unhelpful stereotypes' about Africa.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47400300 |title=Stacey Dooley hits back at MP Lammy's Comic Relief 'white saviour' criticism|date=28 February 2019 |publisher=BBC }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/feb/28/david-lammy-stacey-dooley-comic-relief-white-saviour-row-uganda-red-nose-day-film |title='White saviour' row: David Lammy denies snubbing Comic Relief |work=The Guardian |first=Nadeem |last=Badshah|date= 28 February 2019 }}</ref> The pressure group 'No White Saviours' argued that Comic Relief had pledged to make changes to their celebrity campaigns in the past, and now needed to put them into practice.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-06-12|title=Comic Relief to cut back on celebrity appeals after Stacey Dooley row|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-48607113|access-date=2020-10-29}}</ref>

The remarks by Lammy were believed to have damaged coverage of Red Nose Day; viewership dropped and the donations received for the broadcast in March 2019 fell by £8&nbsp;million and the money raised that year was the lowest since 2007.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/comic-relief-down-8m-after-david-lammy-white-saviour-row-dxtv733bp |title=Comic Relief down £8m after David Lammy 'white saviour' row |first=Nicholas |last=Hellen|date=17 March 2019|work=The Sunday Times }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/mar/17/red-nose-day-raises-8m-less-than-2017-as-viewing-figures-fall |title=Red Nose Day raises £8m less than 2017, as viewing figures fall |first=Jim |last=Waterson |date= 17 March 2019 |work=The Guardian }}</ref> In 2020, as a result of Lammy's intervention, Comic Relief announced that it would no longer send celebrities to Africa nor portray Africa with images of starving people or critically ill children.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Comic Relief will stop sending celebrities to Africa|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-54716750|access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> Instead, they would be using local film makers to provide a more "authentic" perspective and give agency back to African people.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-28|title=Comic Relief to stop using images of starving children in Africa for Red Nose Day|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/comic-relief-white-saviour-africa-children-red-nose-day-740234|access-date=2020-10-29|website=inews.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>