Moyles record grabs 2.8m on Red Button

Chris Moyles and 'Comedy' Dave Vitty's World Record radio broadcast last week for Comic Relief attracted an audience of more than 2.8 million on the BBC Red Button.

As of 8.30am on March 18, Moyles stayed on air on BBC Radio 1 for 52 hours straight, setting a brand new Guinness World Record for radio DJ endurance. En route he also broke Simon Mayo's previous record of 37 hours, also on Radio 1, for Comic Relief in 1999.

The broadcast, which raised £2.6 million for Red Nose Day, was also streamed live in-vision on the BBC Red Button, attracting an audience of 2.84 million, making it the most popular ever live radio feature on the interactive platform.

Over the 52 hours, the broadcast achieved an average of 144 minutes viewed, which the BBC said is very strong considering the genre of programming.

For example, last year's Glastonbury festival had an average of just 36 minutes on the Red Button, although it was on for less time than Moyles.

Moyles's World Record attempt also proved popular across social media networks, with a strong following on Facebook and a worldwide trend on Twitter.

Mark Friend, controller of BBC multiplatform and interactive, said: "This was a great example of radio on the TV which worked brilliantly and which the audience loved. It added an extra dimension to an amazing piece of broadcasting."

During the record-breaking radio show, Moyles was joined by a host of celebrity guests, including James Corden, Phillip Schofield, Katy Perry, Jimmy Carr, Ricky Gervais and Olly Murs. Take That's Gary Barlow rounded off the broadcast to present Moyles and Vittty with their Guinness World Record certificate.