Zoe Ball pulls out of Comic Relief due to COVID-19
Alesha Dixon will "work the double shift" and fill in for the Radio 2 Breakfast presenter.
Zoe Ball has been forced to pull out of presenting Comic Relief tonight after testing positive for COVID-19, revealing that fellow presenter Alesha Dixon will "work the double shift" instead.
Ball, who was due to take on hosting duties for a chunk of the evening, announced the last-minute news on Instagram, alongside a picture of her positive lateral flow test.
“pook ! fell at last hurdle and have had positive lat flows this am- noooooooo,” she wrote. “Gorgeous @aleshaofficial is going to work the double shift tonight on @ComicRelief, i owe you lady love.”
The charity telethon is back on our screens tonight for its 36th year, with the likes of Sir Lenny Henry, David Tennant, Vernon Kay and Dixon hosting.
Ball is the second presenter forced to pull out of tonight's Comic Relief extravaganza due to COVID-19, following the news that Joel Dommett stepped back from hosting duties after testing positive for the virus – a move that Ball referenced later in her social media post.
Ball continued: “Good luck to A[lesha], Lenny, David, @mcguinness.paddy, @ajodudu, @vernonkay, and the @comicrelief gang, so many brilliant treats in store tonight.
“I'll be watching & supporting from bed (probably in full make up, outfit, heels and all) might invite @joeldommett over #sickbay.”
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Kylie Minogue was previously announced to appear in a Ghosts sketch, but will no longer be appearing on Comic Relief as she was also recovering from COVID-19.
See our guide on how to donate to Comic Relief.
Red Nose Day airs on Friday 18th March at 7pm on BBC One. To find out what's on telly tonight, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub.
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