Lightener of mood (5,6)

I believe the answer is:

comic relief

(Other definitions for comic relief that I've seen before include "Stand-in for stand-up" , "Humour used in a serious context to relieve tension" , "good cause" , "Charity founded in 1985 by Richard Curtis and Lenny Henry" , "charity event" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.

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