Celebrities To Do Fame Academy

The BBC and Comic Relief have announced the names of the 13 celebrities set to surprise the nation and go head to head in the definitive, celebrity singing competition. Comic Relief Does Fame Academy asks celebrities to go one step further to raise money for Red Nose Day – The Big One. The launch show kicks off on BBC One on Saturday 3 March 2007.

Later that evening at the end of the results show, 13 become 12 as one celebrity loses the chance to enter the Fame Academy. The show begins its nightly run from Wednesday 7 March when, once more, one student's performance will see them leave the competition as the remaining 11 enter the Fame Academy. There can only be one winner of the ultimate singing competition - Comic Relief Does Fame Academy final on Red Nose Day on Friday 16 March live from BBC Television Centre in London.

The celebrity students are:

- Angellica Bell (presenter)
- Colin Murray (Radio 1 DJ, TV presenter)
- Fred MacAulay (DJ, broadcaster)
- Linda Robson (actress)
- Mel Giedroyc (comedienne, writer)
- Miranda Hart (comedy actress)
- Ray Stubbs (BBC Sport presenter)
- Rowland Rivron (comedian/presenter)
- Shaun Williamson (actor, Extras)
- Tara Palmer-Tomkinson (personality/TV presenter)
- Tim Vine (comedian)
- Tricia Penrose (actress)
- Zoë Salmon (Blue Peter presenter)

Regular host Patrick Kielty will be joined by Claudia Winkleman who moves over from BBC Three, to preside over the live event from the Fame Academy's new and fitting venue, the Debating Chamber in London's County Hall. On launch night, 13 celebrity students will sing for survival to raise money for Comic Relief.

The previous series raised more than a million pounds for the charity and now the Fame Academy welcomes a fresh batch of celebrity students, all hoping to follow in the victorious footsteps of 2005 winner, Radio 1's Edith Bowman. Our celebrity students will work, rest and play together whilst being put through their paces by the Fame Academy staff, led as usual by forthright Head Teacher, Richard Park.

Resident vocal coaches David and Carrie Grant are on hand to encourage the best performances possible from our singing wannabes. Sessions with fitness coach and choreographer Kevin Adams, and chats with personal tutor Jeremy Milnes. remain on the packed and challenging curriculum, as students battle to learn their songs in time for the live show and attempt to secure those all-important viewers' votes.

Back on judging duties - and fresh from her West End stage role in The Sound Of Music - is opera star Lesley Garrett. She i's joined once again by top West End choreographer and Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood. Richard Park as ever, completes the critical judging trio.

Each night, viewers vote to save their favourite student. The three students with the least amount of votes find themselves in the bottom three, where they will perform again to win the approval of the judges and their fellow students. One of the bottom three is then saved by the judges, the remaining pair then face their Academy colleagues, who step up to vote for who they want to save. The student with the most amount of votes remains in the Fame Academy, while the loser is expelled and leaves that night.

One celebrity student will be expelled every night amid growing tensions as the remainder edge closer to that Red Nose Day final and being crowned winner of the ultimate celebrity talent contest, Comic Relief Does Fame Academy! Sarah Cawood and Dominic Wood will broadcast live on BBC Three from inside the Fame Academy straight after the BBC One show.

Viewers will able to get the low-down on life inside the Fame Academy in this access all areas show which will be overflowing with exclusive interviews - including the first with our expelled student - celebrity guests and all the latest gossip. Jake Humphrey and Caroline Flack will treat CBBC viewers to two daily doses of all the very latest news and gossip, live from inside the Fame Academy.

The show, which will also be shown on the CBBC Channel, will be bursting with behind-the-scenes features, interviews with the tutors and expelled students plus celebrity fans of the show. As well as competitions, there will be tons of ways to get involved and up close to all the action. Kevin Cahill, CEO of Comic Relief, said: "Every time somebody votes to save their favourite student, Comic Relief will get cash that goes towards helping bring an end to poverty and social injustice in the UK and Africa.

"It's a great line-up and I can't wait to see what happens in the Fame Academy and I hope everybody gets voting! Each call represents a small amount but when they are all added together it makes big money that can make a big difference."

BBCi gives fans watching on digital television the ultimate access to all the action from inside the Fame Academy from 7am to 1am every day, by pressing the red button. And this year, for the first time, digital viewers can press red during the main BBC One show to sing along with the contestants in our karaoke service. The official website bbc.co.uk/rednoseday has video highlights from the Fame Academy, with a rolling news team covering events as they happen.

There are also photos and profiles and users will be able to download a daily video podcast to keep up to date with our students' progress. Voting will be available on phone lines and text. At least 34p from each call goes straight to Comic Relief, to help the poorest and most vulnerable people in the UK and Africa.