WE'RE SO THRILLED TO BE BACK.
WE MISSED YOU WHILE YOU WERE AWAY.
I WENT BACK TO LONDON FOR CHRISTMAS.
I HAD THE BEST TIME.
BUT THERE WAS REALLY SAD NEWS OVER CHRISTMAS THAT HIT ME
REALLY HARD, I KNOW IT HIT YOU REALLY HARD, REG, THE PASSING
AWAY OF GEORGE MICHAEL.
GEORGE WAS -- I FEEL LIKE I'VE LOVED GEORGE MICHAEL AS LONG AS
I'VE KIND OF LOVED MUSIC IN A WAY, AND I FOE SO MANY OF HIS
FANS FEEL THE SAME.
LIKE SOMETIMES, I CAN REMEMBER SO MANY SPECIFIC TIMES IN MY
LIFE WHERE I MIGHT HAVE FELT ON MY OWN, AND GEORGE'S MUSIC WOULD
FEEL LIKE HE JUST -- WOULD FEEL YOU CAN YOU WOULD LISTEN TO A
SONG AND HE WOULD REACH HIS HAND OUT AND TELL YOU YOU WEREN'T ON
YOUR OWN AND THAT THESE FEELINGS WERE NOT PARTICULAR TO YOU, AND
IT REALLY -- IT REALLY HIT ME, AND I THINK IT HIT ME A BIT
HARDER, BECAUSE I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH BACK IN 2011 TO MEET
GEORGE AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH HIM BECAUSE HE VERY KINDLY
AGREED TO DO A SKETCH FOR COMIC RELIEF, WHICH IS A HUGE CHARITY
IN THE U.K., ON A BIG DAY CALLED RED NOSE DAY, AND I WANTED
GEORGE TO BE IN THIS SKETCH WITH ME.
AND WE CAUGHT HIS MANAGEMENT AND THE LABEL.
I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.
THEY SAID, GEORGE WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS HIMSELF,
AND THEY SAID, BUT HE'S IN AUSTRALIA, SO HE'S GOING TO RING
YOU.
BUT WHEN HE CALLS YOU, IT WILL BE 3:00 A.M. IN LONDON.
AND IT WAS THE WEIRDEST FEELING, GOING TO BED, THINKING, WHEN I
WAKE UP, IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE GEORGE MICHAEL IS ON THE
PHONE, AND I'M GOING TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT H THIS SKETCH, AND WE
CHATTED FOR AN HOUR, AND WE TALKED ABOUT MUSIC, AND I FELT
VERY PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO TELL HIM HOW MUCH HIS MUSIC
MEANT TO ME.
THEN WE GOT AROUND TO TALKING ABOUT THIS SKETCH, AND IN THIS
SKETCH THE IDEA WAS A CHARACTER FROM A SITCOM I WAS IN AT HOME
WAS DRIVING, SO THE OFFICES OF -- TO THE OFFICES OF COMIC
RELIEF TO TRY TO SAVE RED NOSE DAY.
AND WE HAD COME UP WITH THIS IDEA TO HAVE ME AND GEORGE
MICHAEL SINGING IN A CAR, AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER
SUNG IN A CAR WITH ANYBODY, AND IT'S BECOME QUITE A BIG PART OF
MY LIFE NOW, AND HE REALLY INSPIRED IT.
WHEN WE STARTED IT AT THE SHOW HERE, WE WERE TRYING TO GET
PEOPLE TO DO CARPOOL KARAOKE, AND NOT MANY ARTISTS WOULD WANT
TO DO IT.
WE WOULD SEND THEM THIS CLIP OF ME AND GEORGE, AND WE SENT IT TO
MARIAH CAREY, AND SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY YES.
HER WORDS WERE, IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR GEORGE, IT'S GOOD
ENOUGH FOR ME, AND I'LL DO IT.
SO WE ALL HAVE SO MUCH TO THANK HIM FOR FOR THE MUSIC HE'S GIVEN
THAT WILL LAST FOREVER.
BUT WE PERSONALLY AT THE SHOW, WE OWE HIM SO MUCH.
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD SHOW YOU THIS SKETCH, ME AND GEORGE
DRIVING TO COMIC RELIEF TO TRY TO SAVE RED NOSE DAY.
>> SO CAN I COME TO COMIC RELIEF THEN?
>> James: NO.
WHY?
>> James: BECAUSE YOU CAN'T.
OH, COME ON, LET'S BE HONEST.
YOU DON'T WANT ME TO COME WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE
SEEN WITH A GAY MAN.
IT'S RIDICULOUS.
( LAUGHTER ) >> James: EXCUSE ME.
WHAT YOU GET UP TO IN YOUR SPARE TIME IS UP TO YOU, ALL RIGHT?
>RIGHT?
THEN WHY CAN'T I COME TO COMIC RELIEF?
>> James: BECAUSE YOU'RE A JOKE, GEORGE.
COMIC RELIEF IS ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE LIKE YOU!
( LAUGHTER ) DON'T PUT YOUR SAD FACE ON.
>> ALL RIGHT, FINE.
WE'LL JUST LISTEN TO SOME MUSIC.
♪ >> James: LOVE THIS ONE, DON'T
YOU?
♪ CALL ME GOOD.
♪ CALL ME BAD.
♪ CALL ME ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BABY ♪
♪ AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SAD ♪ ♪ AND I KNOW I MADE YOU HAPPY ♪
♪ BABY ♪ ♪ I'M YOUR MAN ♪
>> I LOVE IT!
♪ YOU KNOW THAT, BABY, I'M YOUR MAN ♪
♪ IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT ♪ ♪ DO IT RIGHT, RIGHT ♪
♪ DO IT WITH ME ♪ ♪ IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT, DO IT
RIGHT, RIGHT ♪ ♪ DO IT WITH ME ♪
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> James: GEORGE!
WE MISS YOU SO MUCH!