Coronavirus: Tina Fey cries as New York telethon raises £93m

The ‘Rise Up New York’ telethon benefitted charity Robin Hood

Tina Fey was brought to tears after her coronavirus fundraiser raised more than $115m (£93m) for coronavirus relief charity.

The 30 Rock star hosted Rise Up New York, an hour-long video special helping raise money for Robin Hood, an organisation helping to feed New Yorkers and their families who have been affected by Covid-19.

Following appearances from Jennifer Lopez, Jon Bon Jovi, Spike Lee, Sting, Alicia Keys and Barbra Streisand, as well as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and a number of frontline healthcare workers, Fey gathered at the show’s end to find out how much had been raised.

Seeing the total of $115m flash up on the screen, a shocked Fey asked: “Is this real?”

Struggling not to cry, she continued: “We did this, you did this, we are difference makers. What a great day for New York, thank you everyone who gave and gave from all over the world.”

Earlier, the actor had confirmed that over 100,000 people had individually donated to the fundraiser, saying: “From kids with piggy banks to million-dollar gifts, no matter how big or small, they all share that spirit of generosity and in the end, that is how we will win.”

In April, New York was considered to be the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, with 21,640 confirmed deaths having taken place in the city.