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Benedict Cumberbatch Takes A Dive In Freezing Water For Red Nose Day

By Alexandra Lozovschi
Published on: 13:35 PST, Mar 15, 2019

Benedict Cumberbatch is known for his easygoing personality and great sense of humor. Therefore, fans were not surprised to see the film star wearing a red nose and matching alien antennas in a set of new hilarious photos that have emerged today in the media.

Nor were they taken aback at the sight of a topless Cumberbatch donning the quite unusual head gear. What was perplexing was that the Avengers: Infinity War actor went for a swim in the freezing-cold waters of London’s Hampstead Ponds, as reported by the Daily Mail. Not to worry though, as everything was for a good cause.

The actor’s whimsical gesture came after Cumberbatch graciously offered to lend his support to this year’s Red Nose Day, the fundraising campaign run by the charity initiative Comic Relief. The world’s favorite Sherlock Holmes celebrated 2019 Red Nose Day rather untraditionally, by taking a dive in cold water to raise money for mental health programs ahead of the BBC launch of the Comic Relief show on March 15.

According to the Daily Mail, the Doctor Strange star accepted the challenge to go for a swim in the chilly water and took off his clothes for the cause without batting an eye. Earlier today, the 42-year-old actor whipped out his swimming trunks and went for a dip in Hampstead Ponds, equipped with the charity’s iconic red nose.

Cumberbatch added a personal touch to Red Nose Day by throwing a pair of goofy alien antennas into the mix. The antennas ended in two red puff balls that perfectly mirrored the red nose on the actor’s face.

Benedict Cumberbatch supports Red Nose Day by swimming in cold water for Mental Health programs on March 15.

But Cumberbatch was not alone in braving the freezing water on Friday. Zander Woollcombe of United Global Mental Health played the imitation game (pun intended) and joined the Sherlock star for a cold swim.

In a collection of photos, the duo is seen goofing around in the water, energetically splashing around to keep warm as they proudly wear their red noses and antennas.

Benedict Cumberbatch supports Red Nose Day by swimming in cold water for mental health programs, with Zander Woollcombe of United Global Mental Health, on March 15, 2019, in London, England.

Cumberbatch and Woollcombe were accompanied by comedian Noel Fielding. But, unlike the two antenna-donning men, who were more than happy to jump in the freezing pond, Fielding preferred to stay out of the water, watching their athletic performance with a bemused look on his face. And, judging by the fact that he was bundled up in a long faux fur coat, it’s safe to assume that the two swimmers faced some plummeting temperatures on their day out on the water.

Other celebrities who have thrown their support behind 2019 Red Nose Day are Doctor Who‘s David Tennant, singer Alesha Dixon, British stand-up comedian Lenny Henry, TV and radio personality Zoe Ball, BBC’s Emma Willis, and comedian and actor Romesh Ranganathan.

Four Weddings and a Funeral is also getting a 12-minute sequel on the show, per Metro, adding Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, John Hannah, Kristin Scott Thomas, and the rest of the main cast to the list of stars celebrating 2019 Red Nose Day.

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