Children in Need Raised Over £38M During Live Television Broadcast
Children In Need raised £38,720,170 during its live television broadcast on Friday, featuring a special Strictly Come Dancing routine and a prank involving the cast of Dune: Part Three.
The total announced by the conclusion of the BBC charity appeal surpassed £38 million. Presenters Alex Jones, Rylan Clark, Sara Cox, Mel Giedroyc and Tyler West performed a dedicated version of Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional dancers.
Jones was paired with Aljaz Skorjanec, West teamed with Alexis Warr, Giedroyc partnered with Neil Jones, Clark danced alongside Amy Dowden, and Cox performed with Julian Callion. Following their routine to Sir Terry Wogan’s “The Floral Dance” as a tribute to the fundraiser’s iconic late presenter, Giedroyc and Jones found themselves significantly out of breath.
A panel formed of child judges and mascot Pudsey Bear awarded every dancing couple a maximum score of 10.
A notable sketch during the broadcast saw Dune: Part Three stars Timothée Chalamet, Jason Momoa, Anya Taylor-Joy and Zendaya carry out a prank on Clark. The Hollywood cast took instructions through an earpiece from three children who were secretly directing their actions.
Midway through the conversation, the young directors told Chalamet to check his phone and let Clark know he was currently leading an auction for an air fryer. Chalamet later shouted, “No, I’ve lost the lead.”
“Man I’m sorry,” Taylor-Joy replied.
Further humorous moments included Zendaya repeatedly calling Clark by the wrong name, alongside Chalamet stroking his beard and telling the host that his teeth kept distracting him during their repeated handshakes. Taylor-Joy further disrupted the interview by meditating unexpectedly, while Momoa walked off set on multiple occasions.
The trick was finally revealed after the cast suddenly started dancing and urged Clark to join in with them. This came on the heels of an earlier moment of amusement when Giedroyc mispronounced Chalamet’s surname, sparking a running joke that popped up repeatedly throughout the evening.
Owain Wyn Evans, a presenter for BBC Radio 2, made a special appearance after raising £4,760,086 by completing a five-day bicycle journey across Northern Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales.
“I can’t believe that we did this, this week, 400 miles, four nations, and I’m not a cyclist which is a problem when you’ve got to ride a bike,” he said on the broadcast. “But we did it, and we raised a lot of money.”
At the London Palladium, a youngster took part in a stand-up comedy workshop led by Michael McIntyre prior to delivering a routine in front of 2,000 spectators, marking another memorable segment of the programme. Another youngster performed alongside the cast of the High School Musical stage production.
The rendition of “We’re All In This Together” moved both the young performer’s mother and presenter Jones to tears at its conclusion.
Letitia Wright, known for her role in Black Panther, surprised a young boy by granting him a red carpet invitation to the European premiere of Avengers: Doomsday.
Leah Williamson, the captain for Arsenal and England, surprised a community girls’ football team, while Pudsey Bear made a guest appearance in the Dragons’ Den studio to pitch for contributions in a separate sketch.
Musical entertainment during the programme was provided by the Scottish band Texas, the BBC Children In Need Choir, and a musical group consisting of Morning Live hosts led by Kym Marsh.