The charity\u2019s vision is \u201cto live in a just world, free from poverty\u201d, and was founded in 1985 by the scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry<\/a> in response to the famine in Ethiopia in 1985.<\/p>\n Since then, the donation efforts of Comic Relief<\/a> on Red Nose Day, as well as the BBC\u2019s other annual events like Children in Need, have attracted criticism \u2013 with some citing<\/a> a \u2018white saviour syndrome\u2019 in regards to the charity\u2019s content.<\/p>\n The notion of being a \u2018white saviour\u2019 is one that centres on white people being depicted as saving, teaching or protecting their non-white counterparts, often cited in relation to international charity work and celebrity appeal videos.<\/p>\n Many of those accusations were made against Comic Relief a few years ago, but since then, how has the charity evolved away from depicting white celebrities in such a way?<\/p>\n Well, Henry chatted to Radio Times magazine<\/strong> and admitted that they \u201craise money in different ways nowadays\u201d.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThere\u2019s much more agency given to the people on the ground, and there\u2019s a currency of being part of the solution that\u2019s so much more important than somebody in a white shirt saying, \u2018Here I am in Ethiopia and look at this, this is terrible.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cThose days have sort of gone. What happens is you work with people on the ground. And Comic Relief has tried to make it so that the teams making the documentaries are more inclusive than they used to be.\u201d<\/p> Henry continued: \u201cIt used to be BBC Bristol going to Africa to make all the films and they were all white people. It was always me and five white people and all these kids saying, \u2018Hello, how are you?\u2019 to everyone else but not say[ing] anything to me because they thought I was from there.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then when I did my bit to camera, they\u2019d be like, \u2018I thought that was just your uncle,\u2019 to their friend. It was really bizarre, but it made me think that it needed to be a bit more inclusive.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd, of course, there are places throughout the continent of Africa where there are the most brilliant filmmakers in the world. So, what we\u2019re doing now is making every attempt to find those people.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n The money raised is also now equally split between anti-poverty causes in the UK and those further afield throughout the world.<\/p>\n When asked whether that was something that Henry foresaw, he admitted: \u201cRight now it\u2019s about giving a leg up to people who are struggling here and everywhere else.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember being in Uganda in the 1990s and there was a grain bank and a food bank, and I thought, \u2018What a good thing, but this would never happen in the UK.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cHere we are now in the 21st century and my sister runs a food bank. I went there and was astounded by the generosity of the big stores involved and the people stepping up to this problem.\u201d<\/p>\n This is the last year that Henry will be hosting the Red Nose Day celebrations<\/a>, with the night itself set to include sketches from The Traitors<\/a>, W1A<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n![\"Lenny](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/03\/lenny-henry-comic-relief-6d4ce12.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Lenny")
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