Rowan Atkinson to bring back Mr Bean for Comic Relief
Rowan Atkinson is to portray Mr Bean for the first time in almost three years with a sketch for Comic Relief.
The funnyman will revive his bumbling slapstick role after last being seen by millions of people around the world when he took part in the London 2012 opening ceremony.
His return comes alongside a comeback for Dawn French as The Vicar Of Dibley, which will also be screened during this year's Red Nose Day broadcast on BBC1 on Friday, March 13.
Dawn reprises her role as Geraldine Granger, who will be seen campaigning to become a Bishop, Comic Relief said as the charity outlined its plans for this year's fundraising celebration.
On TV there will also be a screening of some of the hightlights of the Phoenix Nights live shows.
There will be another Great Comic Relief Bake Off in which 16 celebrity bakers will be put through their paces by Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, with Jonathan Ross, Abbey Clancy and Gok Wan among those taking part. Further names will be announced next month.
As well, The X Factor presenter Dermot O'Leary will be taking part in an exhausting 24-hour non-stop dance marathon.
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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.