TIM VINE AND KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN TAKE ON SHEPHERDING TRAINING FOR RED NOSE DAY!

25th February 2022

  • The comedians compete in Countryfile’s One Man and His Dog competition for Red Nose Day which is set to air on Sunday 6th March

  • Tim and Kiri receive shepherding training masterclass from two of the UK’s finest sheepdog trialists

  • Newfound shepherding skills put to the test in a bid to be crowned champions of one-off Red Nose Day special

  • One Red Nose and Their Dog training will be shown on Countryfile, Sunday 6th March, BBC One

  • Competition shown and winner revealed on Red Nose Day night of TV on Friday 18th March on BBC One from 7pm

  • Money raised will help support vital life changing work, tackling issues including homelessness, domestic abuse, poverty and mental health problems in the UK and around the world

  • Find out more at comicrelief.com/rednoseday

Friday 25th February: Britain’s much-loved sheepdog trial is being given a Red Nose Day twist as comedians Tim Vine and Kiri Pritchard-McLean head to the Welsh countryside to take on Countryfile’s annual competition, One Man and His Dog.

The first ever One Red Nose and Their Dog competition will see the comedians given a shepherding training masterclass with top handlers and their sheepdogs before they put their newfound skills to the test in a bid to be crowned champions of a one-off Red Nose Day special. The training special will air on Countryfile, Sunday 6th March, BBC One.

In preparation for the challenge, the pair were trained by two of the UK’s finest sheepdog trialists and their champion sheepdogs. In Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, Tim Vine was trained by Nij Vyas and his sheepdog, Mist; while in Corwen, North Wales, Kiri Pritchard-McLean was trained by her Welsh compatriot, Aled Owen and his sheepdog, Glesni.

During the Red Nose Day Countryfile special, viewers will be taken inside Tim and Kiri’s training camps as they set out to master their Come-Bye from their Away commands whilst attempting to navigate a herd of sheep around an obstacle course, all with the help of their new canine friends.

Taking what they’ve learnt from their training, the pair then head to North Wales to go head-to-head in a winner takes all shepherding trial that will be shown a few days later, on Red Nose Day’s night of TV on BBC One on Friday 18th March.

Viewers will also be shown how donations to Red Nose Day support people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world. The Countryfile special will feature a film from Stable Life, an organisation based in the Scottish Borders, which combines equestrian sport and therapy to support young people with their mental wellbeing and self-belief by building resilience, social skills, and confidence through their Healing Hooves programme.

Tim Vine said: “Sheepdog training is, unbelievably, something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s just so different from anything else I’ve tried, and it’s given me the chance to spend time with such a beautiful and intelligent dog, Mist. Being asked to do it all for Red Nose Day, which raises huge amounts of money for such brilliant causes, was the double whammy for me, and it’s something I shall remember as long as I live…even if Mist does forget me quite quickly."

Kiri Pritchard-McLean said: “Listen, I’m Welsh, I’m a farmer’s daughter, and I grew up watching Countryfile’s One Man and His Dog, so it’s safe to say there was pressure on my shoulders coming into this competition to do my nation proud. Does that give me the edge over Tim, who knows? Ultimately though, it just feels really special to be doing this for Red Nose Day, which without sounding too overly romantic, has always given me a real sense of pride in people who are coming together with a common goal to raise money for such incredible causes."

Money raised by Red Nose Day will support vital life changing work in the UK and around the world which includes tackling homelessness, domestic abuse, poverty and mental health problems.

Viewers can watch Tim Vine and Kiri Pritchard-McLean’s One Red Nose and Their Dog training on Countryfile on Sunday 6th March, BBC One.

The competition and the winner will be revealed soon after on the Red Nose Day night of TV on Friday 18th March on BBC One from 7pm.

ENDS

For more images and video content visit – https://dam.gettyimages.com/s/sfxk7zjp7rwgtm85vpp89j6h(opens in new window)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Jack Jones, Senior Media Officer

j.jones@comicrelief.com(opens in new window)

0207 820 2605

Out of hours 07984 510 473

www.comicrelief.com/media-centre

About Red Nose Day 2022

Red Nose Day is back on Friday 18th March 2022 and hopes to inspire people across the UK to make a difference, no matter how big or small. This Red Nose Day, we want to remind people that they have the power to change lives

Money raised by Red Nose Day will help people in the UK and around the world live free from poverty, violence and discrimination, and support people with their mental health

Visit www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday(opens in new window) or follow @ComicRelief on social media for the latest Red Nose Day content, news and information

Red Nose Day is an annual fundraising campaign run by Comic Relief

About Comic Relief

Comic Relief raises money to support people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world. Through humour and stories of hope, we have shown that people can make a massive difference

Comic Relief believes that those who are closest to the issues have the best solutions, and so works with organisations and people with direct experience of these challenges. We fund hundreds of amazing organisations who support the most vulnerable people and communities in society, many of whom have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or who have been forced to flee their homes, women and families at risk of domestic abuse and those struggling with mental health problems

Comic Relief is continuing to support funded organisations in their response to the coronavirus crisis to ensure their vital work continues

For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window)

Comic Relief, which is the operating name of Charity Projects, is a registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)