Kim and Mel offer Christmas relief

Mel and Kim Mk II look set to provide us with the Christmas Number One, raising money for Comic Relief along the way. The new duo is Mel Smith and Kim Wilde, who have recorded a version of the Brenda Lee hit ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’, released by 10 Records on Monday.

It’s accompanied by an all-star video where the eagle-eyed among you should be able to spot Curiosity Killed The Cat, Spitting Image puppets, Father Christmas, a Mekon, 15 pumpkin pies (yet to be given their own record deal) and Griff Rhys-Jones.

It’s produced by Stuart Colman, who was the man behind the mixing desk for the last Comic Relief single ‘Livin’ doll’ by Cliff Richard and The Young Ones.

Everyone involved in the record and the video gave their services for free and all profits will go towards Oxfam and Save The Children for their work in Sudan and Ethiopia, as well as charity projects in the UK working with young people in the areas of homelessness, disability, alcohol and drug abuse.

Comic Relief’s help is still desperately needed for both crisis work and long term development in Africa, where Griff Rhys-Jones and Lenny Henry have just returned from fact-finding trips.

The single release marks the start of a major Comic Relief campaign culminating with a six hour extravaganza of comedy to be screened by BBC1 on February 5.

To help boost funds further, the bow tie Mel wears in the video is being sold in branches of Tie Rack. So get out there, buy a tie and look like a pop star (or a prat) for charity.