Children in Need breaks record

The BBC’s annual Children in Need show has raised a record on-the-night total of £26,332,334 – £8m more than 2010.

Host Terry Wogan announced the sum at the end of the six-hour extravaganza, which ended at 0200 GMT.

The show was preceded by a One Show special, which saw the show’s co-presenter Matt Baker end his 500-mile rickshaw ride from Edinburgh to London.

Westlife and Susan Boyle appeared, and Fearne Cotton, Alesha Dixon and Tess Daly joined Wogan as hosts.

Signing off at the end of the telethon, Sir Terry said: “That is the greatest single total we have ever made in one night, so thank you.

“Thank you to the British people in these tough times to come up with that kind of money on behalf of Britain’s children.”

Former X Factor boy band One Direction opened the show by performing their single What Makes You Beautiful.

‘Extraordinary’

Following his arrival at BBC Television Centre, in west London, shortly after 1910 GMT, Matt Baker described his gruelling rickshaw ride as an “extraordinary” experience.

“To actually see people running after you with money and wanting you to have it, it’s just unbelievable,” he told One Show presenter Alex Jones.

Baker, who began the challenge on 11 November and cycled for up to 10 hours a day, raised more than £1.2m for Children in Need.

As the live show kicked off, BBC newsreaders Sian Williams, Sophie Raworth, Susanna Reid and Emily Maitlis were joined by former newsreader Angela Rippon to re-enact the dance routine Rippon performed with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise in 1976.

The cast of The Wizard of Oz also performed a variety of songs from the hit musical, and revealed they had raised more than £10,000 for Children in Need.

And the cast of Eastenders performed a medley of hits by Queen, on the set of the popular soap.

Later, the Collective, a supergroup featuring Gary Barlow, Ed Sheeran, Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk, Ms Dynamite, Tulisa, Wretch 32, Rizzle Kicks, Mz Bratt, Dot Rotten and Labrinth performed the Children in Need single Teardrop during Friday’s live show.

Lord Sugar entered the Dragons’ Den and Gok Wan, best known for presenting fashion shows, sang.

The cast of comedy series Outnumbered performed Hey Hey We’re the Monkees and the Muppets led an all-star version of the classic song Mah Na Mah Na.

There were regional segments to the show, allowing viewers to see fundraising events across the UK.

The aim of the night is to raise as much money as possible to help support children’s charities across the country.

A record £2,032,642 has been raised by BBC Radio 2 listeners, beating the £1,693,444 raised last year.

Source: bbc.co.uk