More ad break take-overs planned to mark the return of Comedy Gala

10 March 2011

Channel 4 Sales are to raise the stakes for the second year of Channel 4's Comedy Gala - challenging even more advertisers to come on board for the most ambitious ad break take-over yet.

April 2010 saw the premiere of a truly unique commercial break, where Jimmy Carr ‘hi-jacked' the ads of Guinness, gocompare.com, Churchill, Kerrys Low Low cheese, Pokerstars and Specsavers during The Channel 4 Comedy Gala - interacting with and commenting on the action.

Channel 4 Sales will be upping the ante for the 2011 broadcast - this time round, the ambition is to ‘hi-jack' a number adverts scheduled  throughout the 1 x 120 min show to keep viewers glued to the breaks as much as the Gala itself.

As current champion of the commercial break takeover Jimmy will find he has an opponent this year in the form of Alan Carr, in the Carr vs. Carr Ad Break Challenge. Channel 4 is now calling on advertisers who are brave and willing to let the Carr v Carr grudge match play out across their ads.

The ad break takeover grudge match between Champion Jimmy and Challenger Alan will be trailed across social media in the run up to broadcast, and viewers will be able to follow the action on Channel4.com on the night.

 

About The Channel 4 Comedy Gala

The Channel 4 Comedy Gala Live At The O2 in aid of Great Ormond St Hospital returns for second year to the world famous O2 Arena, on Tues May 24th.  The amazing all star line up confirmed for the biggest annual comedy event of the year so far includes:

Alan Carr, Andi Osho, Dara O Briain, Jack Dee, Jack Whitehall, Jo Brand, John Bishop, Jon Richardson, Jonathan Ross, Kevin Bridges, Lee Evans, Mark Watson, Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan, Rhod Gilbert, Rich Hall, Sarah Millican, Sean Lock & Shappi Khorsandi ... with many more to be confirmed.

Tickets go on from 9am Friday 11th March priced £60. Money raised will pay for a new 24 hour operating theatre at Great Ormond Street Hospital so that the surgeons can help more children with heart, brain and spine surgery. 

The Channel 4 Comedy Gala Live At The O2 will be recorded for a two hour Channel 4 TV special due to air early June. The Commissioning Editor for the Channel 4 show is Syeda Irtizaali.

On 30th March 2010 over 35 of the nation's favourite comedians and TV presenters showed support by taking to the stage to perform at the first Comedy Gala at the O2. The comedy extravaganza, watched by 15,000 comedy fans at the O2 and over 3 million viewers on Channel 4, featured a world class collection of stars all giving up their time to support Great Ormond Street Hospital with a staggering £869, 492.81 raised to help towards funds for two new anaesthetic rooms.

 

Notes to editors:

About Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity:

Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world's leading children's hospitals with the broadest range of dedicated, children's healthcare specialists under one roof in the UK. The hospital's pioneering research and treatment gives hope to children who are suffering from the rarest, most complex and often life-threatening conditions, from across the country and abroad. 

Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity needs to raise £50 million a year to help rebuild and refurbish Great Ormond Street Hospital, provide vital up-to-date equipment and fund research into better treatments for the children. You can help us to provide world class care for our patients and families. For more information visit www.gosh.org

The Channel 4 Comedy Gala will fund a new operating theatre so that the surgeons can help more children with heart or brain and spine surgery. 

© 2007 Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

Registered charity no. 235825