BT’s Speaking Clock To Feature Celebrity Voices

Celebrities give the time of day to Comic Relief

BT announced that the Speaking Clock will help fundraise for Comic Relief by using different celebrity voices between February 3 to March 23, 2009. Five of the Red Nose Day celebrities that are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro will share the time-keeping duties over the next two months.

The fun started at 08.00 on Tuesday 3 February. When callers dial 123 they will be given an accurate time check by celebrities, including: Girls Aloud’s Cheryl Cole and Kimberley Walsh, fellow popstar, Gary Barlow and presenters, Chris Moyles and Fearne Cotton.

Each celebrity will replace the ‘pips’ with their own special Comic Relief sound, ranging from kisses, raspberries and piano chords in a bid to Do Something Funny for Money. And as if that wasn’t enough, there’ll be a special guest voice featuring in the run up to Red Nose Day on Friday 13 March but you’ll have to dial 123 to find out who it is.

One of the ways that BT is aiming to raise more than £300,000 for Comic Relief is by donating 10 pence per call* from a BT fixed line in the UK that the BT Speaking Clock receives during this fundraising period. The only other previous Comic Relief voice on the Speaking Clock was Lenny Henry back in 2003, which helped to raise around £200,000.

Gary Barlow, said: “BT is helping to make a massive difference to the lives of thousands of people across the UK and Africa. Call the BT Speaking Clock from a BT fixed line in the UK before March 23 and guess which famous voice will answer your call, it could even be me!”

John Petter, consumer managing director, BT Retail, said: “We‘re delighted to support The BT Red Nose Climb with the BT Speaking Clock, which will help raise funds, as well as help vulnerable and disadvantaged people at home in the UK and in Africa. This builds on the vital support BT gives to Comic Relief’s telethons. The more people that dial 123, the more money Comic Relief will make. And we hope each of the celebrities will make callers smile, as well as giving an accurate time check.”

BT’s support of Red Nose Day will be raising funds via a number of high profile activities, including sponsorship of the BT Red Nose Climb, a celebrity expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. BT will also be raising money with cause-related marketing initiatives in different business units such as BT Vision, BT Total Broadband, BT Business and the BT Shop, as well as a major employee fundraising programme.

To find out more about how you can help BT raise money for Comic Relief visit www.bt.com/comicrelief. There is also the opportunity to win flights to Tanzania to meet the celebrities before they start their ascent up Mount Kilimanjaro, as part of the BT Red Nose Climb.

BT has supported Comic Relief since 1985 providing telephony, call centres, network management and thousands of volunteer hours, enabling the charity to take millions of pounds in pledges on Red Nose Day. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to call the BT donation line on the night. BT’s eDonate system will provide a secure online back-up for Comic Relief’s website.

Join the Facebook Group for the BT Red Nose Climb here.

Source: Tip from Sara Mendes da Costa, voice of the Speaking Clock; original article posted here.