Entertainment

Joel Dommett announces replacement host for Comic Relief after contracting Covid

The late-night prizeathon special on Friday will follow on from the main Red Nose Day fundraising show.
The late-night prizeathon special on Friday will follow on from the main Red Nose Day fundraising show. The late-night prizeathon special on Friday will follow on from the main Red Nose Day fundraising show.

Comedian Joel Dommett has announced that he will no longer be hosting The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon this week, after testing positive for Covid-19.

The Masked Singer host was due to present alongside AJ Odudu on the late-night charity special this Friday.

He will be replaced by TV star Vernon Kay on the night, which will have live music, comedy sketches and prize draws.

Dommett shared two photos of the full Comic Relief presenting panel to his Instagram, one with his face crossed out and another with Kay’s face photoshopped onto his.

He wrote: “Super annoyed to report that I have the vid. This unfortunately means I have to pull out of hosting @comicrelief.

“My incredible replacement is the better looking, more talented @vernonkay who is ace. I’ll be watching from home donating loads of money like everyone else!”

Kay has presented various TV shows over the years including Family Fortunes and its celebrity spinoff All Star Family Fortunes, Splash! and Game Of Talents.

Vernon Kay
Vernon Kay Vernon Kay will fill in for the late-night special (David Parry/PA)

The Comic Relief Prizeathon will follow the BBC News At Ten and continue the Red Nose Day celebrations.

As part of the show, chart-topping singer-songwriter George Ezra will perform his new single Anyone For You ahead of the release of his forthcoming third album, Gold Rush Kid.

A pair of tickets to this year’s Glastonbury Festival and a hybrid car are among the prizes on offer to viewers through the show’s “text to win” draws.

Sir Lenny Henry, David Tennant, Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball were previously announced as the hosts of the main Red Nose Day fundraising show, which will be broadcast from the BBC studios in Salford for the first time.

The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon airs on BBC One and iPlayer at 10.35pm on March 18 with The Red Nose Day Comic Relief TV special broadcasting from 7pm.