LONDON - More than £39m was raised by the end of this year’s BBC Children in Need live show, which featured appearances from Ed Sheeran, Graham Norton and Abba.
Singer Sheeran sang his new single Overpass Graffiti, while host Norton took part in a skit with mascot Pudsey. There were special editions of TV programmes The Wall, The Repair Shop and lip sync challenge I Can See Your Voice, and several sketches. The fundraising show came from BBC Studios in Salford for the first time.
The total amount pledged by the time the show came off on BBC One was £39,389,048.
As well as Norton, Mel Giedroyc, Ade Adepitan, Chris Ramsey and Alex Scott took up hosting duties for the 41st annual fundraising show. Shaun Ryder and Bez, from Manchester band Happy Mondays, joined Manchester United footballer Harry Maguire in a sketch for Pudsey’s arrival at the show. The yellow bear arrived at the studio in James Bond style, pulling up in a speedboat to the 007 theme tune. In another sketch, Olympics and Team GB stars, including gymnast Max Whitlock, joined Claire Balding for a sports day, with Whitlock being disqualified from the egg and spoon race for using glue. There was also a version of Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere - this year’s official Children in Need single - performed by Anne-Marie and Niall Horan. And Danny Dyer presented a special edition of the BBC One gameshow The Wall, with CBBC stars Sam and Mark testing their knowledge to win cash for the charity. In the charity edition of The Repair Shop, Jay Blades and repair duo Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell helped restore a teddy bear, Henry, for 13-year-old Billy Matthews.
Meanwhile, Paddy McGuinness hosted the lip sync challenge I Can See Your Voice, with Jimmy Carr, Alison Hammond and Amanda Holden acting as judges while BBC presenters took part.
It ended with BBC Breakfast sport presenter Mike Bushell singing a terrible version of Swedish House Mafia’s Don’t You Worry Child.
There was a better vocal display from some of the nation’s best-loved puppets and classic children’s’ TV favourites - Basil Brush, Rainbow’s Zippy, George and Bungle, and Zig and Zag et al - who collaborated in a video for a version of Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.