Chris Moyles sets on-air record for Comic Relief

Chris Moyles sets on-air record for Comic Relief
Chris Moyles sets on-air record for Comic Relief (Image credit: PA)

Chris Moyles has set a new world record by staying on air for more than 50 hours to raise money for this year's Comic Relief. The DJ had presented his show with sidekick 'Comedy Dave' Vitty since Wednesday morning, raising money for charity in the process. They set the record for Radio DJ Endurance Marathon (Team) at 8.30am on Friday, when they had been on air for 50 hours and then vowed to carry on for another two hours. The total reached £2.4 million at 10.10am after fellow DJ Fearne Cotton told listeners she would present her show in a swimming costume if it hit the £2 million mark. Chris and Dave, who have done three separate breakfast shows since they started the charity effort, were joined by a series of special guests including Comedy Dave's wife and young daughter and Take That's Gary Barlow, who presented the DJ with a Guinness World Record certificate. They set a new Radio 1 record on Thursday night at 7.31pm, breaking the station's previous record set by Simon Mayo in 1999. The station's website crashed this morning with Chris blaming people logging on to see Fearne. He thanked listeners for donating money, including 'that last rush of dirty old men' who pledged cash after Fearne's promise. He said: "The end result of this silly, silly show was Fearne Cotton in a swimsuit. Oh and Comic Relief got some money." Chris signed off after 52 hours by thanking listeners for their 'amazing generosity' and said he was 'going to sleep for two whole weeks'.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.