The Red Nose Day Special - Episode Guide

Craig Ferguson and a star-studded cast of Hollywood favorites is coming together to have fun, raise money and change the lives of kids who need our help the most in ‘The Red Nose Day Special' on NBC. Broadcast live from Los Angeles on Red Nose Day, Thursday, May 26 (9-11 p.m. ET), the special will feature hilarious comedy, incredible music performances from popular artists and short, compelling films shedding light on children in need here at home and around the world. Coming together for the FUN-raising special will be Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, Sarah Silverman, Tracy Morgan, Key & Peele, Anna Kendrick, Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Ellie Kemper, along with Kristen Bell, Emma Watson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Rose Byrne, Blake Griffin, Emma Thompson, Chloë Grace Moretz, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, Adam Devine and Ron Funches.

Celebrating Red Nose Day for the third year in a row, NBC has anchored a special night of programming on Thursday, May 25 with Chris Hardwick hosting the "The Red Nose Day Special" at 10:00 p.m. In addition, Academy Award winner Julia Roberts and other stars partake in Red Nose Day-themed programming throughout the night that both entertains viewers and gives them an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of kids in need.

"Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day" at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT is followed by a very special 9:00 p.m. episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls for Red Nose Day," with Roberts venturing to Kenya, leading up to NBC's third annual "The Red Nose Day Special," hosted by Hardwick at 10:00 p.m. The three shows are seamlessly tied together in celebration of Red Nose Day, with calls to action to donate throughout each of the three programs.

Throughout the night, viewers will be entertained, learn about the programs supported by Red Nose Day that are helping to change the lives of children, and have the opportunity to support the charity through calls to donate, making a real difference for kids in need here in the U.S. and around the world.

The one-hour "Red Nose Day Special," hosted by comedian Chris Hardwick, will be broadcast live from Rockefeller Plaza in New York City in support of the Red Nose Day charity campaign. Stars appearing include Ben Affleck, Jack Black, Orlando Bloom, Yvette Nicole Brown, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Dempsey, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Bear Grylls, Mindy Kaling, Mark Hamill, Matt Iseman, DJ Khaled, Matt Lauer, Rachel McAdams, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, Julia Roberts, Al Roker, Paul Rudd, Dax Shepard, Ben Stiller and Kenan Thompson, along with "This Is Us" cast members Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Chris Sullivan, Susan Kelechi Watson and Ron Cephas Jones.

Shedding light on kids in need, Julia Roberts visits Africa and Paul Rudd visits rural Maine to show how children's lives can be changed and saved by Red Nose Day funds.

The special will also feature "Red Nose Day Actually," the much-anticipated reunion sequel to "Love Actually," catching up with cast members from the beloved holiday film, including Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy.

On an action-packed night of programming, some of the biggest names in entertainment will compete on "Celebrity Ninja Warrior for Red Nose Day," where they will be pushed to the limit in grueling physical challenges all to raise money to support the cause. Later, two teams of stars will face off on a special Red Nose Day edition of "Hollywood Game Night" where they will take on classic "HGN" party games that will test their pop culture IQ. Adding to the excitement, both shows will include live check-ins from Hardwick throughout the night as he gears up for the main event, broadcast live from New York. The evening will serve to entertain and educate viewers while providing many opportunities to support the charity through calls to donate, with money raised supporting millions of children in need in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and around the world.

Celebrity Escape Room kicks off NBC's night of special programming, with Ben Stiller bringing the phenomenon of escape rooms to television in spectacularly over-the-top style. Stiller and Jack Black serve as executive producers and star in the one-hour show featuring a cast of A-listers immersed in the hilariously high-energy, no-holds-barred escape.

Joining Stiller for the game-play are comedy stars Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow and Adam Scott. Jack Black is host and the all-knowing "Game Master," who puts his celebrity friends to the test as they work together under intense pressure to beat the clock, unlocking a series of surprising puzzle rooms to ultimately engineer their great escape in this uproarious and heart-pounding adventure.

Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, OneRepublic, Ellie Goulding, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Smith, James Taylor, Meghan Trainor and Adrienne Warren (the star of "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical") will perform.

In addition to the music performances, Jim Gaffigan, Tony Hale, Ray Romano and Lilly Singh will also showcase their comedic stylings. Film and TV favorites Bryan Cranston, Mario Lopez, Milo Ventimiglia and Noah Jupe will make appearances throughout the evening.

In addition to the unforgettable performances and original sketches, viewers will also see short compelling films that show how donations to Red Nose Day are used to change and save the lives of children in need in the U.S. and in some of the most underserved communities around the world.

In light of the health crisis and in an effort to help the public adhere to current health recommendations to avoid face-touching, Red Nose Day's iconic Red Noses will not be sold in Walgreens stores this year. Instead Red Nose Day and Walgreens teamed up to create this year's new digital Red Nose which offers an easy, fun way for the public to participate in the annual campaign, even while staying at home.

This year's event will raise money for those affected by Covid-19, particularly to support programs to ensure that children who are living in poverty are safe, healthy, educated and empowered.

This year's Comic Relief is set to be one of the best yet, with some star studded appearances from French and Saunders, Jack Whitehall, Tom Daley, Rose Ayling Ellis and Giovanni Pernice, David Walliams, Guz Khan, Matt Lucas, Jay Blades, and many more. Red Nose Day 2022 will be hosted by Alesha Dixon, David Tennant, Zoe Ball, Paddy McGuinness and Sir Lenny Henry. 

NBC will celebrate Red Nose Day's first decade in the U.S. with "Red Nose Day: Cheers to Ten Years.

The star-studded special will look back at the hilarious, inspirational and unforgettable moments of NBC's Red Nose Day programming and the life-changing impact of the campaign's first 10 years. 

The funniest skits from past Red Nose Days will be featured, including Coldplay's "Game of Thrones" the Musical, basketball with Paul Rudd & Blake Griffin, Kate McKinnon's "SNL" Weekend Update sketch and more.

A look back at the short film "Red Nose Day Actually," reuniting writer-director Richard Curtis and the cast of his beloved film "Love Actually" will also be featured.

The special will also include stories that highlight the impact of donations to Red Nose Day and how they help children across the U.S. and around the world.