The grand finale show has been heralded as the best ever with Girls Aloud together with the Sugar Babes performing the opening number.

The 7 hour live show included some of the biggest names in world entertainment and within the first half hour the show had already raised more than £2 million.

Lenny Henry helped Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Graham Norton, Russell Brand, Fearne Cotton, Kate Thornton, Paul O'Grady and Chris Evans hosted various parts of the show throughout the evening.

Red Nose Day is a UK-wide fundraising event organised by Comic Relief www.comicrelief.com - every two years which culminates with a night of extraordinary comedy and moving documentary films. This is the 11th Red Nose Day; the biggest TV fundraising event in the UK calendar.  

There was comedy all the way provided by a host of stars including Peter Kaye and Matt Lucas who performed the hit song ’10,000 miles’ by the Proclaimers to a host of stars including Elton John, Bill Oddie, David Tennant, David Walliams leaped on half way through to introduced the real Proclaimers who helped finish off the number.

Top Gear team Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May staged a Top Of The Pops style top gear special which featured pop band Travis who played live in the studio.. Supergrass performed live accompanied by Adrian Edmondson on guitar and Richard Hammond on the wind machine! The team challenged teen band McFly to write a brand new song in under half an hour – they performed ‘The Top Gear Blues’ ‘brilliantly’ said Clarkson. – Lead singer of The Darkness – Justin Hawkins sang Billy Oceans Red Light Spells Danger‘’ accompanied by the Top Gear Presenters Clarkson on the drums, Hammond on base and May on keyboard.

One of the highlights of the evenings show – was a sketch involving none other than the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Catherine Tate as Lauren, the insolent teenage school girl -  Lauren subjected the British PM to a barrage of twaddle about her day, barely pausing for until he was at last given the chance  “am I bovvered?” –  “Look at my face” said the Prime Minister, “I aint Bovvered” - Lauren who was clearly very ‘Bovvered’ marched out of the PM’s office.  

Ricky Gervais presented a special spoof report from Kenya about a poverty stricken family. Steve Merchant appeared only to blow the cover and reveal the Blue Screen studio in the background.

The pair were joined by a chicken nugget eating Jamie Oliver, Sir Bob Geldoff and Andy Peters and Bono appeared also.

The final installment of ‘Comic Relief Does The Apprentice’ Sir Alan Sugar was shown The results of the efforts of the boys' Team: Alasdair Campbell, Piers Morgan, Ross Kemp, Rupert Everett and Danny Baker. Together with those of the Girls' Team: Cheryl Cole, Jo Brand, Maureen Lipman, Trinny Woodall and Karren Brady (Manager of Birmingham FC).  The Girls team won by a massive majority shown on yesterday’s programme and tonight’s final saw the boys fighting it out to decide who would face Sir Alan in the boardroom. “Piers, you’re fired!” And Piers Morgan was ousted.

Little Britain stars Vicky Pollard, Matt Lucas and school teacher David Walliams were joined on stage by Vicky’s younger sister – Kate Pollard – AKA Supermodel Kate Moss.

Graham Norton took over soon after midnight to present his stand up slot. Introducing his first guest Davina McCawl and Borat “Graham’s I like you, I like sex – we like very much the Jade Goody joke about the popadom”

David Mitchell and Robert Webb presented a snooker style modification of Chris De Burgh’s hit song ‘Lady In Red’ - renamed ‘The Table Of Reds’ and Chris De Burgh himself joined the pair on stage to finish off the number, singing ‘The Pink is on -  where’s the cue ball gone’ -  ‘I hardly know if I should use the stun or side – I never will forget, my table of reds’. Joined finally by Hazel Irvine dressed as a snooker table.

On Red Nose Day everyone in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is encouraged to cast inhibitions aside, put on a Red Nose, and do something a bit silly to raise money - celebrities included. It is an event that unites the entire nation in trying to make a big difference to thousands of poor and disadvantaged people across the UK and Africa.

Noel Edmonds presented a special edition of ‘Deal Or No Deal’ with Catherine Tate’s ‘Nan’ character She departed the studio thanking them very much for such a princely sum of £199 proclaiming that the show ‘Deal or no deal - ? What a load of old shit’

TV’s wild man Russell Brand brought the show to an end presenting contributions by well known DJ icon Tim Westwood, The Mighty Boosh creators Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding.

By the end of the evening, the total had ballooned to a monumental £ 58 million and more is expected to flood in over the following days and weeks.