How to watch Red Nose Day 2023 from outside of the UK

Red Nose Day/Comic Relief is an annual charity event in the UK that has previously aired some of the most iconic pop culture sketches, and this year’s show is right around the corner.  

Whovians should be keeping an eye out, as David Tennant will be presenting this year’s proceedings. Adverts for the show have revealed him in costume as the fourteenth Doctor – and if previous Comic Relief shows are anything to go by, there could be the possible return of a Doctor Who minisode. 

Besides wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff, there’s also a French and Saunders take on TV reality hit The Traitors, a Ghosts special with pop sensation Kylie Minogue, a sketch all about a new bombshell on Love Island, a series of ‘Eurovision auditions’ with the sarcastic Graham Norton and much, much more.  

Watching Red Nose Day in the UK is straightforward – but if you’re abroad when it airs, things get a trickier. Fortunately, there is a workaround. We also have a similar article for watching The CW series Gotham Knights from the UK. 

When is Red Nose Day 2023? 

Comic Relief is scheduled to take place on Friday 17 March 2023 at 7pm GMT. Joining David Tennant on presenting duties is AJ Odudu, Joel Dommett, Zoe Ball and Paddy McGuinness 

If you’re in the UK, then you can catch it live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer – the show will also be available on-demand on iPlayer after it has aired.  

If you’re based abroad, then there is still a way to access BBC iPlayer.  

How to watch Red Nose Day 2023 from the US and abroad 

For watching Comic Relief from abroad, you’ll need a VPN – an app which routes your internet connection through a server somewhere on the internet before it goes to the website or service you want to use. 

Using a VPN means your real location is hidden from the BBC, which means that you can access the iPlayer website and it won’t recognise that you’re trying to stream from a country that isn’t the UK. 

Not all VPNs unblock iPlayer successfully, but we have found NordVPN to be consistently reliable. On top of that, it comes with a wide range of servers, and affordable pricing if you lock in for a multi-year plan. You can also check out our list of the best VPNs for iPlayer.

Note that the BBC requires that anyone using iPlayer is a UK TV Licence holder. When you sign up for a free BBC account you’ll need to give your date of birth, gender, and email address, along with a valid UK postcode.

The BBC claims that it can use accounts to find iPlayer users who haven’t paid for a TV Licence, but admitted that it will cross-reference the email addresses with people who’ve previously claimed not to need a licence.

If you live in the UK and have a paid-up licence fee, simply sign in to your BBC account and use a VPN service as described above. However, it’s worth noting that you are breaking the BBC’s terms and conditions by using a VPN.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of getting a VPN, then some sketches will likely be available on YouTube after the show airs. Otherwise, here is how to watch iPlayer from abroad to stream Comic Relief:

At a glance

• Time to complete: 5 minutes
• Tools required: Laptop/PC, VPN

1.

Sign up for NordVPN

Jim Martin / Foundry

By default, the Complete plan is selected, but if you only need the VPN, click on Get Standard. At the top, choose between a two-year, one-year and one-month plan.

Follow the prompts to create your account and pay.

2.

Install the NordVPN app

Jim Martin / Foundry

If you’re using a phone or tablet, just head to its app store and search for NordVPN, then install it.

If you’re on Windows, then log into your NordVPN account in a web browser, go to the Downloads section and click Download app next to Get NordVPN for Windows. Run the downloaded file to install it.

3.

Launch NordVPN

Jim Martin / Foundry

Launch the app, and sign in using the email address and password you entered when creating an account with NordVPN. On Windows you should see a screen like this, but other apps are very similar.

Either use the list of locations (the word icon at the top left) or scroll the map to the UK and tap on Connect to London. If prompted, allow NordVPN to set up a VPN connection. You might have to enter your Windows password or, on a mobile device, your passcode.

4.

Wait until the VPN is connected

Jim Martin / Foundry

You should see a message to tell you the VPN is connected. You can see this with the green CONNECTED and a padlock above United Kingdom.

5.

Open iPlayer

Jim Martin / Foundry

Open the BBC iPlayer app or, on Windows, head to the iPlayer website.

Sign in with your BBC account (create one if you haven’t got one) and then you should be able to stream Comic Relief. It should play just fine as the VPN makes it appear that you’re in the UK.