It was the inaugural Channel 4 Comedy Gala, an annual charity event held O2 Arena in London in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

All profits from ticket and DVD sales of the Comedy Gala were to go to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.

[1][3] The money was to be used towards the provision of two new anaesthetic rooms, allowing parents to remain with their children up until the time they enter the operating theatres.

[4] Katie Price made an appearance at the gala, mentioning that her disabled son Harvey is a regular visitor to the hospital.

At the end of the performance, Jack Dee presented Lee Evans with a Channel 4 lifetime achievement award, which he auctioned on the spot for £5,000 for the charity, selling it to a member of the audience.

[2] The live show was to be opened by Alan Carr, and would feature live stand-up from several comedians, with other artists contributing additional sketches and filmed inserts, in addition to celebrity appearances from the likes of Katie Price and Alex Reid, and Christine Bleakley, as well as musicals performances by Stomp and Bill Bailey.

[9] It was announced on 1 April that the Channel 4 broadcast would also feature a special advert break, with Jimmy Carr mocking a selection of willing advertisers.

Alan Carr was the first host, introducing Jason Manford, Jo Brand, the apology sketches and Sean Lock, before appearing in the short film about the hospital.

David Mitchell then took over as host, introducing Jack Whitehall, Rich Hall and the second Kevin Bishop Show sketch.

James Corden and Ruth Jones appeared in character as Smithy and Nessa from their television sit-com Gavin & Stacey, carrying forward the plot from the final episode by pretending to be visiting London on a day trip from Barry Island.

Pitched by Carr as the 'serious bit' in the mould of Comic Relief type information films inserted between the comedy acts, the short film broadcast early in the show about the Great Ormond Street Hospital featured instead, Alan Carr touring the hospital meeting staff and patients, making various comic gaffes.

During the special ad-break featuring Jimmy Carr, Carr appeared either in specially filmed inserts, or in walkover shots, mocking adverts for Gocompare.com, Churchill car insurance, Specsavers, PokerStars.com, Kerry Low Low cheese and Guinness The live show was greeted with average to good reviews, with The Daily Telegraph and the London Evening Standard giving it 4 out of 5 stars, while The Times and The Independent gave it 3 stars.

[11][13][14][15][16] Other noted acts were Jack Dee, John Bishop, Rich Hall, Noel Fielding, and a musical routine by Bill Bailey and Kevin Eldon.

[15][16] Media outlets picked up on Patrick Kielty and Sean Lock's inclusion of gags about Michael Jackson, who had been planning to stage his farewell concerts at the arena before his shock death nine months previously.