Subject: Red Nose Day to make US debut this year

Red Nose Day is to make its debut on US television later this year.

The three-hour fundraiser on NBC will raise money for charities in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the US.

Comic Relief in the UK has raised more than £1bn since the charity was co-founded by filmmaker Richard Curtis 30 years ago.

Curtis, an executive producer for the NBC special, said he hoped it would make a "massive difference" to millions of children around the world.

Since the first TV fundraiser in 1988, the biennial Red Nose Day in the UK has seen celebrities and normal people do something funny for money on TV, at home, school, and work.

Actress Emma Watson, 007 star Daniel Craig and Orlando Bloom were among the stars appearing in the 2015 special, which aired last week, helping to raise £78m by the end of the live show.

"Red Nose Day is almost like a national holiday in the UK," said actress Sienna Miller. "I'm thrilled it's coming to the US."

NBC has yet to announce who will appear on the show, but Mad Men star Jon Hamm starred in an advert that aired during the Super Bowl.

The 12 charities that will benefit from donations to the US show include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Children's Health Fund and United Way.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-31946847