Tumour removal was 'hardest thing', Davina McCall tells Comic Relief

A tearful Davina McCall said the removal of a brain tumour was "the hardest thing" she had ever been through as she reflected on the experience during Red Nose Day's 40th anniversary show.

The TV presenter - who underwent surgery in November - cried as she spoke of the support she received from her family and her partner Michael Douglas.

She was speaking during Comic Relief: Funny for Money, which saw performances from the Sugababes and a host of 80s stars as well as sketches involving the Gladiators and Strictly Come Dancing professionals.

The programme had raised £34m for the charity by the end of the anniversary broadcast.

Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, AJ Odudu, Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Alesha Dixon, Jonathan Ross and Tom Allen are presenting the live show

Speaking about her experience former Big Brother presenter McCall said: "I had a pretty mad year this year. Doctors found a benign brain tumour, by chance, and after a lot of deliberating, I had it removed.

"And it's been, quite possibly, the hardest thing I've ever been through and this whole experience, weirdly, kind of weighing up all the risks and all the positive things about having this tumour removed made me think deeply about what life is all about, and what really, really matters when things get tough."

To mark 40 years of raising money for charity some of the BBC's biggest shows were parodied in sketches, including Strictly Come Dancing, Gladiators, Not Going Out and Beyond Paradise.

McCall was joined in Salford by fellow hosts Rylan Clark, Alison Hammond, Joel Dommett, Alesha Dixon, Jonathan Ross, Tom Allen and AJ Odudu.

Taking the show back to the 80s - when Comic Relief was founded - the evening began with an 80s pop medley with Limahl from English band Kajagoogoo singing their hit Too Shy, before Carol Decker, from T'Pau, sang China In Your Hand.

Chabuddy G stepped into the Gladiator arena for Comic Relief

It was the first Comic Relief broadcast since its inception to not feature Lenny Henry as co host.

Sir Lenny, who co-founded the programme with Love Actually screenwriter Richard Curtis in 1985, did make one appearance during the show - in a pre-recorded video message reflecting on the charity's anniversary.

"I can't believe Comic Relief is turning the big 4-0. In some ways it feels like 1985 was, like, yesterday," he told viewers.

Kurrupt FM's self-appointed manager Chabuddy G then stepped into the Gladiators arena for an exclusive Red Nose Day showdown.

He announced his new superhuman persona as Girth, Wind And Fire, but after winning a challenge against Bionic, played by Matty Campbell, CCTV indicated foul play and was ultimately banned.

Comic Relief has helped support communities by providing food, healthcare and shelter to those most in need.

Celebrities have already been taking on challenges for Red Nose Day, and earlier, BBC Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing finished a 150-mile trip from London to Salford, raising more than £2m.

He hobbled on stage during the show to thank people for their donations.

"It was a long way, but it was an incredible journey. The people were amazing. The donations were amazing. You guys here are incredible," he said.

Jamie Laing completed five ultra-marathons for Comic Relief

Reality TV stars Pete Wicks and Vicky Pattison swapped their day jobs to be Amazon delivery drivers, to raise money for the charity.

Comedians Russell Kane and Rachel Parris portrayed Strictly Come Dancing's first amateur professional dancers, selected due to the BBC One show's "inclusivity rules, which require a certain percentage of professionals to be amateurs".

They showed off their moves in a comical routine that appeared to impress the Strictly professionals, in a Miranda Hart-narrated clip.

There was an Inbetweeners reunion as James Buckley and Joe Thomas took on the roles of Liam and Noel Gallagher, in a parody charting their journey from Manchester lads to global rock superstars.

The sketch showed the moment Oasis decided to reunite for a tour, triggered by their managers informing them that they were broke.

Broadcaster Piers Morgan made a cameo as a villainous Ticket Master, assuring the brothers that fans seeking tickets to the show would be treated "completely fairly".

In reality, the brothers, who are known for their feuds, announced a reunion last August alongside a worldwide tour taking place this year, tickets for which fell foul of a dynamic pricing surge on Ticketmaster that shot prices up significantly more than advertised.

EastEnders worked with Comic Relief to produce a five-minute episode focusing on the character Phil Mitchell's mental health and the importance of treatment.

Comedian Munya Chawawa headed to the West End to become actor Brian Cox's new understudy in his critically acclaimed play, The Score.

James Corden's Smithy, from Gavin And Stacey, stumbled into an England football meeting, the whiteboard of which shows a game of Hangman featuring the word football.

And a memorial segment featured tributes to former One Direction star Liam Payne and drag queen The Vivienne among others.

You can catch up on all the Red Nose Day action on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

James Buckley plays Liam Gallagher and Joe Thomas plays Noel in an Oasis sketch