Channel 4's Comedy Gala to return for a 5th year
Channel 4's Comedy Gala is to return this year for a fifth fundraising drive.
The charity-based stand-up show, and linked TV broadcast, will once again be raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The 2014 show will take place at the O2 Arena on Friday 16th May 2014, with many of the UK's most high profile stand-up comedians performing.
Adam Hills, Alan Carr, Jack Dee, Jason Byrne, Jason Manford, Jo Brand, John Bishop, Jon Richardson, Jonathan Ross, Josh Widdicombe, Kevin Bridges, Lee Evans, Michael McIntyre, Paul Chowdhry, Sean Lock and Seann Walsh are amongst the comedians already announced as part of the line-up.
This will be the fifth year of the huge benefit gig, which first took place in 2010. The format was created by super-agent Addison Cresswell from Off The Kerb, the talent management company that looks after many of the country's top comedy stars.
This year's show will be dedicated to Cresswell, who un-expectedly died in December. A statement released at the time of his death said "He leaves behind a proud legacy in his tireless charity work, initiating and organizing the annual Channel 4 Comedy Gala in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. It was his dearest wish to raise enough to fund the opening of a brand new wing of the hospital, a goal that is now in sight."
So far, the format has raised over £2.5 million. Tim Johnson, Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, said: "Around one in three inpatients at Great Ormond Street Hospital will have surgery at some point during their stay, so it's vital for us to have modern, world class surgical facilities. The money raised by the Channel 4 Comedy Gala is helping us make a real difference for patients and families from across the UK."
Tickets for this year's show go on sale at 9am on Friday (28th February). As in previous years, Channel 4 will show two hours of edited highlights from the evening in the following month, with a DVD then expected to be released in November for the Christmas market. All profits are donated to the children's hospital.
Below is a VT sketch from the 2011 show, which sees various comedy stars take part in a music video: