Charity-minded people across the district are being urged to do something extra funny for money for next month’s Red Nose Day as Comic Relief celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Saltaire funnyman Mark Rough, who is marking his own milestone – 15 years in the stand-up business – will be donating the fee from a gig he is doing at The Engine Rooms in Skelmersdale, on Friday, March 15, to Comic Relief.

The former psychology lecturer said being funny was in your bones and not something that could be taught, but he reckons Red Nose Day is about being silly.

“It’s dead easy being funny with your mates in the pub, but when you’ve a spotlight and mic, then being funny becomes increasingly difficult,” he said.

“Comic Relief is all about being daft. If people can be daft for a day and raise money, I think that’s wonderful, it really is. It’s a wonderful thing to support and raises a great amount of money. Just be daft for the day, that’s what I say!”

Mark said Bradford was a warm city and its people provided him with plenty of inspiration.

“That’s where I get my comedy, I just listen to people,” he said.

“I’ve been living here 20 years and class myself as a Bradford citizen. I’m very, very proud of my city. People are so funny and dour and warm and friendly.”

Meanwhile, Bradford pop star Zayn Malik is leading the way when it comes to raising cash and awareness of the poverty-tackling charity with his One Direction bandmates.

The band’s mix of Blondie’s One Way Or Another and The Undertones’ Teenage Kicks is the fastest-selling single of the year so far and charted at number one at the weekend.

The boys have also visited Ghana to see how Red Nose Day money is helping the poorest people there.

They told Hello magazine they were surrounded by excited children all day. Zayn told the magazine: “We ended up filming a couple of verses of our Red Nose Day single, One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks), while they were dancing on the desks. It was total chaos.

“It was brilliant and we all left with hand-written letters from the students.”

Clothes the lads wore on their trip are now being auctioned on eBay, with a hat of Zayn’s already at £620.