[Gary Baldy]

A big change from the late 80s, 90s and 00s, when viewers in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland opted out entirely from the network from around 7.30pm until 1am, with viewers there seeing their own local content, with those three regions placing some network comedy routines, musical numbers etc into their own schedule and not airing it at the same time as London. 

In fact BBC One Northern Ireland used to drop a lot of network content, with BBC One Northern Ireland viewers missing out on some key specials. One instance was a Paul McKenna Celebrity Hypnosis Special for 1996, viewers in Northern Ireland never saw it, as they had their own regional thing going on and they chose not to air it. When BBC One Northern Ireland handed back to London at around 1.20am, viewers were surprised in the "Highlights" of the night, that they missed out on a lot!

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The problem is no one else wants to host it. It is a telethon which is really a shadow of it's former self, in the same way Comic Relief has turned out, just Comic Relief feels that it still has a tiny tiny edge to it. 

It is also a show which some people find annoying, the begging bowl coming out each year and also the critics argue it is simply an advertising plan for big stores to get their name on BBC One like Asda did earlier this evening. Free advertising for them whilst fundraising of course.

Comic Relief and Children in Need are the same in all but name these days.