Comic Relief appoints Samir Patel as new CEO Samir Patel, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Comic Relief. Samir has over 20 years of international digital, grassroot campaigns and communications experience and will join the charity from Blue State where he is the Head of Insights and Innovation and part of the senior management team leading Blue State in Europe. Comic Relief Chair, Eric Salama, said: “The world needs Comic Relief more than ever before. To be able to achieve our goals, alongside our relationship with our partners and the BBC, we need to become digital in everything we do – from the content we create, to the way we engage with the UK public and the way we partner with organisations we fund.