New Comic Relief nose designed by Apple guru who grew up in Stafford
Comic Relief's famous Red Nose has undergone its "most dramatic makeover" since debuting in 1988 after being redesigned by former Apple guru Sir Jony Ive.
Sir Jony, who grew up in Stafford, was the chief design officer of Apple Inc from 1997 until 2019 and helped to launch the iPod, iPhone and MacBook products.
He met his future wife – now Heather Pegg Ive – whilst studying at Walton High School in town after his family moved from London. He now lives in California.
Comic Relief co-founders Richard Curtis and Sir Lenny Henry have enlisted actress and comedian Diane Morgan to make a tongue-in-cheek short film launching the new product.
In it, Ms Morgan compares the design to Earth before hailing the importance of "the perfect circle" and describing how the new model is "the most perfect nose in history".
Famous faces including TV presenter AJ Odudu, stand-up comic Sindhu Vee, presenter Amanda Holden, pop singer Frankie Bridge, radio DJ Greg James, The Repair Shop star Jay Blades and comedy actress Miranda Hart were among the first to try on the new nose.
Money raised from the appeal will support people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and tackle issues such as homelessness, mental health problems and food poverty.
Sir Jony said: "We've grown up with Comic Relief and are proud to support their remarkable work. This new and seemingly simple Red Nose has been a fabulously complex little object to design and make and has involved our entire team.
"We hope it brings a little moment of joy to everyone who wears one."
Comic Relief co-founder Richard Curtis added: "I hope they'll love it. I hope they'll be greedy for it, I hope it'll become an absolutely mass, must-have item.
He added: "I've got this motto in life, which is to make things happen, you have to make things. And that's always been the sort of Comic Relief thing. So I hope it's a big hit."
Red Nose Day returns on Friday March 17 with Odudu joined by David Tennant, Joel Dommett, Paddy McGuinness and Zoe Ball as presenters on BBC One.
The night will see Kylie Minogue feature in a Ghosts sketch and an unexpected contestant looking for love in a Love Island parody.
The new nose is being sold on Amazon and the Comic Relief website.
