By
Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:11 PM on 18th March 2011
When Chris Moyles vowed to broadcast continuously for more than two days, Fearne Cotton probably didn’t think he could do it.
So a bet she made backfired today when the blonde presenter was forced to wear a swimsuit on air after the breakfast show host raised almost £2.5million for Comic Relief.
Moyles and his co-host ‘Comedy Dave’ Vitty spent 52 hours on air without sleep to become Radio 1’s Longest Show Ever and raise money for Red Nose Day.
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Winning team: Fearne Cotton attended work in a swimsuit after Chris Moyles and Dave Vitty set a new world record and raised over £2 million for Comic Relief
Lost bet: Fearne Cotton had to wear a swimsuit as she joined Chris Moyles in the Radio 1 studio after he stayed on air for more than two days for Comic Relief
The presenter started his broadcast on Radio 1 with sidekick ‘Comedy’ Dave
Vitty on Wednesday morning and finally came off air at 10.30am today.
He signed off after 52 hours by thanking listeners for their ‘amazing generosity’ and said he was ‘going to sleep for two whole weeks’.
The total money raised reached £2.4 million at 10.10am after Fearne Cotton told listeners she would present some of her show in a swimming costume if it hit the £2 million mark.
And after passing the £2million mark, Cotton appeared on the studio webcam in a stripey monochrome swimsuit.
The appearance of Cotton between 10:10 and 10:30am caused such an internet sensation, the Radio 1 website crashed due to the sudden high volume of traffic.
The Radio 1 Twitter page read: ‘Due to high volumes of traffic (we wonder why), the website has crashed…
‘The latest total is an amazing £2,406,648 and Fearne Cotton is in the studio in her swimsuit for the next 10 minutes.’
Surge in popularity: Cotton’s tiny one-piece swimsuit caused such an increase in internet traffic that the Radio 1 website crashed
Self-conscious: Cotton complained the swimsuit was too small and skimpy after it had been bought by a colleague from her Radio 1 morning show
Unfortunately for Cotton, it wasn’t a proper-fitting swimsuit from her own collection, but a smaller one bought by Radio 1 colleague Alex Cornish.
Moyles said: ‘The end result of this silly, silly show was Fearne Cotton in a swimsuit. Oh and Comic Relief got some money.’
The pair, who will now have two weeks off to recover, set the record for Radio DJ Endurance Marathon (Team) at 8.30am when they had been on air for 50 hours and then carried on for another two hours.
A weary Moyles told listeners: ‘We’re going to carry on for another two hours. Why? I have no idea.’
This morning they were joined by special guests including Comedy Dave’s wife and young daughter and Take That’s Gary Barlow, who presented the DJ with a Guinness World Record certificate.
hey set a new Radio 1 record last night at 7.31pm, breaking the station’s previous record set by Simon Mayo in 1999.
Other guests who joined them on the way to setting the record include Katy Perry, Davina McCall, Jimmy Carr, Lily Allen, Chipmunk, Olly Murs, Katy B and Jack Whitehall.
Throughout the record-breaking broadcast the duo presented each show in the schedule with the regular DJ as a guest.
DJs including Scott Mills, Greg James, MistaJam, Nick Grimshaw, Dev and Benji B lined up alongside them.
Celebrate: Delighted Cotton and Moyles celebrate after hearing he has helped raise over £2.4million for Comic Relief’s good causes
The pair were allowed a five-minute break every hour and took showers
to refresh themselves as well as the occasional brief power nap.
As Vitty read out the new total, a swimsuit-clad Cotton sneaked into the studio and gave an exhausted Moyles a cuddle.
Playing the gentleman, Moyles declared: ‘I can’t look.’
Cotton complained: ‘Look how tiny this thing is that Alex bought… I don’t know what to do with myself.’
As she sat down at the microphone, she declared: ‘This is the most awkward thing I’ve ever done in my entire life.’
She complained to Cornish: ‘You bought a swimsuit with no sides to it Al.’
Moyles thanked everyone who had donated to the charity, in particular ‘that last rush of dirty old men, like myself, who were standing up for what they believe in.
‘Sure they know it’s wrong to stare, but if charity will benefit, stare away.’
Shy: A red-faced Cotton rushed to her seat behind a desk to protect her modesty in the ill-fitting costume during her Radio 1 show
As Moyles announced the Radio 1 website had crashed, an embarrassed Cotton nervously adjusted the swimsuit.
And while she read out a list of thank yous, Moyles claimed he lost his contact lenses as an excuse to sit behind the radio and TV presenter.
The total raised jumped to more than £2million as of 10:10am this morning from a previous total of £1.8million.
Comic Relief is on BBC One tonight from 7pm.
To donate, visit www.rednoseday.com.
