Peter Kay and Tony Christie will perform Amarillo for BBC's Big Night In
Kay has organised a new video of the 1972 hit - which he made a huge success in 2005
Anyone compiling a list of the most iconic Comic Relief segments of all time would be hard-pressed not to put the Tony Christie and Peter Kay rendition of Amarillo near the top of the list - and now the pair are reuniting for a special remake of the hit.
Fifteen years after Kay's video for the 1972 song - which saw a host of famous faces miming along with Christie's crooning - captured the attention of the nation, he has organised a new version for BBC One's Big Night In.
This time around Kay has called on the help of the British public, including NHS nurses, to recreate the famous video - with Christie himself also making an appearance.
Speaking to The Sun about the video, Christie said that he hoped it would see the same success as the previous Kay version - which shot to the top of the UK charts.
"To have a No 1 at the age of 77 would be incredible," he said. "I just can’t believe it. The song will now cross over three generations — 1971, 2005 and now 2020.
"Every DJ I speak to says Amarillo is the one song they guarantee will fill a dance floor, and I see why. What’s not to like about it? It’s the gift that keeps on giving — I wish I had one like that every five years."
He added, "I’m really excited by it. There’ll be plenty of people dancing, singing and jumping around with musicians added on. It’s great that nurses are playing a part too. It’ll be fantastic."
Amarillo is just one part of an action packed schedule for The Big Night In, which sees Comic Relief and Children in Need teaming up for the first time to "support, entertain, cheer up and help out anyone who needs any or all of those things."
Kay has not appeared on live television since 2017, when he spoke at the We Are Manchester concert which was held in memory of those who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena terror attack.
The Big Night in airs tonight on BBC One from 7pm.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.