Children in Need has commenced its annual three-hour live broadcast from Salford, dedicated to raising funds for children and young people across the United Kingdom.
The presenting team features familiar faces such as Paddy McGuinness, Mel Giedroyc, Lenny Rush, Rochelle Humes, and Vernon Kay, alongside chef and rapper Big Zuu, making his debut appearance in the lineup.
The evening’s entertainment has included sketches featuring stars from Gladiators and The Apprentice, as well as a performance from the professional dancers of Strictly Come Dancing.
Additional acts include Lewis Capaldi, McFly’s Tom Fletcher with his son Buzz, and Eurovision contestants Remember Monday.
As of 20:45 GMT, the event had already raised over £19 million for the charitable cause.
In a comedic twist, The Apprentice skit saw Lord Sugar facing an intense boardroom grilling, with the script humorously flipped.
The entrepreneur explained his participation by stating he “owed a favour to Pudsey,” leading him to allow eight children to pose questions such as, “Why is your name Lord Sugar when you are so salty all the time?”
“Well Sugar is my name and that’s it, what can I say?” he responded.
The broadcast culminates a week of Children in Need-related content, notably including Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox completing her 135-mile challenge.
She undertook five marathons in five days, running, jogging, and walking across northern England.
Cox’s journey spanned Northumberland, Durham, North and West Yorkshire, concluding in Salford on Friday. Her efforts have raised over £7.6 million for Children in Need in the past week.
Speaking to fellow Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills at the finish line on Friday afternoon, Cox remarked, “It’s just been the maddest, most painful, wonderful thing I’ve ever, ever done.”
“I’ve never had shapely calves in my life,” she joked, “but I have now because they are so swollen, it looks like I’ve been hit with a bat.”
She continued: “We spend a lot of time playing brilliant music on Radio 2… I was singing along at one point like a mad woman, singing along to Blur, and all sorts just to try and push through.
“I would like to thank Chase and Status and Stormzy for [their 2024 song] Backbone. And I’d like to apologise to my son because on telly, if it stays on the documentary, I am singing that song quite a lot and it’s so cringe. So I am so sorry to my kids.”
Earlier in the week, Big Zuu partnered with Pudsey Bear and children from a Children in Need-funded theatre project to present his first CBeebies Bedtime Story.
He read Basil Dreams Big by Lu Fraser and Sarah Warburton, a story promoting resilience, bravery, and self-belief. The broadcast aired on Thursday night and is available on BBC iPlayer.
The rapper and chef stated that the charities that resonate most with him are “ones that take care of carers, and also take care of parents”.
I think youth work projects are very close to me, because I used to be a youth worker.
“I know how crucial it is for young people to have a trusted adult that they can talk to who believes in them and the power this can have in helping unlock their potential,” he said.
Rush, hosting for his third year, added that his favourite aspect of presenting is meeting “so many amazing, inspiring people” and “having the opportunity to hear their stories”.
Newscast, the BBC’s daily news podcast, joined the fundraising efforts with presenter Adam Fleming undertaking a 25-hour podcasting mission between Thursday and Friday.
He welcomed various BBC radio presenters and podcasters, including the regular Newscast team, as well as the CBeebies Radio and 5 Live Daily podcast teams.
Special sketches were featured throughout the night, including an appearance from Lord Sugar, who faced questions from aspiring junior apprentices in the boardroom.
Viewers also got a sneak peek of the upcoming The Celebrity Apprentice: Christmas Specials, with this year’s contestants engaging in a charity challenge.
Gladiators also received the Children in Need treatment, featuring mini-gladiators entering the arena, and The One Show’s The Challenge Squad are also set to feature.
The Challenge Squad consists of young individuals on a mission to achieve their own fundraising goals, supported by well-known personalities.
The BBC Children In Need choir returned to perform Coldplay’s Yellow, a tribute to Pudsey’s favoured colour.
The Radio 2 presenter completes her epic run, which has raised more than £7.6m for Children in Need.
Cash donations spiral during Nova’s hula hooping challenge for BBC Children in Need.
Players who took part in the match included Denise Lewis, Ashley Cain and Shakira Khan.
Pudsey bear has spent the day posing for photos and meeting people raising money for charity.
Children in Need funding helps a charity provide programmes in Alderney.