BBC comedy Amandaland is getting the Comic Relief treatment this Red Nose Day, with a special sketch set to air as part of Comic Relief: Funny for Money on Friday 20 March.
In the sketch, Amanda (Lucy Punch) and Anne (Philippa Dunne) arrive at BBC Broadcasting House for a live radio interview with presenter Sara Cox — only to find themselves surrounded by some of TV’s most recognisable Amandas.
The Traitors season 4 star Amanda Collier, Britain’s Got Talent’s Amanda Holden, A Place in the Sun’s Amanda Lamb, Coronation Street’s Amanda Barrie and Dancing with the Stars’ Amanda Byram all feature in what promises to be a gloriously chaotic case of mistaken identity and comic confusion.
BBC
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Lydia West (It’s a Sin, Doctor Who) plays Sara Cox’s overwhelmed radio producer, with Things You Should Have Done’s Lucia Keskin rounding out the cast as the production runner.
Speaking about the sketch, Holden admitted she was pinching herself to be involved. A self-described superfan of the show, she said the experience felt slightly surreal — especially given how often her name comes up in the actual series.
Sara Cox, meanwhile, was clearly delighted by the whole affair. Playing a version of herself, she said working with the cast was an absolute joy, particularly singling out Barrie — beloved by generations of viewers from her time on Coronation Street — and Lydia West as highlights of her morning on set.
Philippa Dunne, for her part, reflected on what it means to bring Amanda and Anne to a Comic Relief audience. She noted that the two characters practically play themselves at this point, and that the chance to be silly in service of a good cause made the whole thing a pleasure.
BBC
Viewers wanting a sneak peek behind the scenes can catch footage of the sketch’s filming on The One Show on Thursday 19 March from 7pm.
Comic Relief: Funny for Money airs live from MediaCityUK in Salford on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Friday 20 March from 7pm, and will also be live-streamed simultaneously on the official BBC YouTube channel — a first for the telethon.
Amandaland is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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