BBC Children in Need thanks the public for their remarkable support in raising £39,389,048 to help make a difference to the lives of children and young people facing disadvantage in communities across the UK

BBC Children in Need’s 2021 Appeal show saw the Great British public once again going above and beyond to support children and young people across the UK to thrive and be the best they can be, raising a whopping £39,389,048 during the charity’s 41^st Appeal show.

Live on BBC One from 7.00pm on Friday, the charity’s 2021 Appeal show marked the crescendo of this year’s fundraising activities for BBC Children in Need. Presented by Ade Adepitan MBE, Mel Giedroyc, Graham Norton, Chris Ramsey and Alex Scott MBE from MediaCity UK, Salford, the 2021 show featured a glittering array of famous faces to entertain the nation, whilst shining a light on the children and young people across the UK facing disadvantage.

The show was opened with a spectacular performance from global superstar, Ed Sheeran MBE, who performed his new track, Overpass Graffiti, to kick-off the show. Viewers were then treated to a special sports day sketch which saw some of Britain’s best athletes take on a plethora of sports day challenges. The hilarious sketch saw multi medal winning Paralympic cyclist Dame Sarah Storey and gold medal gymnast Max Whitlock MBE captain two teams of sports stars as they took on a series of classic sports day challenges, all led by Clare Balding OBE who took on the role of PE teacher with gusto whilst brandishing her whistle with pride!

Later in the evening, audiences were treated to the world premiere of the video for BBC Children in Need’s 2021 official single, Everywhere (BBC Children in Need).  Available now, the track was curated by BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, who brought together chart toppers Niall Horan and Anne-Marie to reimagine a Radio 2 classic – Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac – and give it a Radio 1 twist. The jampacked video not only brought the special track to life but also treated viewers to a number of surprise cameos from a supergroup of world-renowned artists, including Ed Sheeran on guitar, Lewis Capaldi on tambourine, Griff on synths and Yungblud on bass.

Elsewhere in the show, there was a heart-warming special of The Repair Shop, which saw Jay Blades and Teddy Bear Ladies, Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell, carry out a very special restoration for Billy and his mum, Mandy. The poignant special reflected on the support Billy had received from a BBC Children in Need funded project, and saw his beloved teddy, Henry, restored to his former glory.

The show also saw Danny Dyer present a special edition of the popular BBC One gameshow, The Wall, especially for BBC Children in Need. The special edition saw CBBC TV presenters Sam and Mark tackle The Wall whilst pondering tricky questions in an attempt to raise as much money as possible for BBC Children in Need.

In a fitting tribute to the charity’s Life-President, the show also saw the presentation of the sixth Sir Terry Wogan Fundraiser of the Year Award. The accolade recognises the charity’s fundraisers, of whom Sir Terry was a huge champion, and this year was awarded to Amy Wright, who has raised tens of thousands of pounds for BBC Children in Need over her many years of fundraising. Amy was presented her award by Michael Ball, who led the call for nominees and championed the special award on his BBC Radio 2 show this year.

Another truly special moment on the night saw 13 year old Sam, who benefitted from BBC Children in Need funding after his father’s death, take to the stage to give a breathtakingly beautiful performance of Lost Without You by Freya Ridings.

Elsewhere in the show, two worlds collided in a hilarious sketch which saw EastEnders’ Janine Butcher (played by Charlie Brooks) looking for love and turning to Channel 4’s hit dating show First Dates to help with her search. In an unexpected twist, her date for the evening was none other than Coronation Street’s very own Steve McDonald (played by Simon Gregson), who wasn’t actually looking for love – he just fancied a meat pie.

Other highlights of the evening included:

• A performance from chart-topper Tom Grennan who brought the stage to life with a performance of By Your Side in an epic singalong with schools across the UK
• An I Can See Your Voice special, hosted by Paddy McGuinness, which saw Jimmy Carr, Alison Hammond and Amanda Holden investigate the musical talents of BBC Sport presenter Mike Bushell, broadcaster and Radio 2 presenter Jason Mohammad and Newsreader Kate Silverton
• A poignant performance from children and young people with the BBC Children in Need choir singing a beautiful cover of Andra Day’s Rise Up
• A standout sketch which saw the likes of Basil Brush, Zippy, George, Bungle, Dodge, Hacker T Dog and Mr Blobby (and many more) join forces for one of the biggest singalongs BBC Children in Need has ever seen.
• Mel Giedroyc and Graham Norton facing the iconic black chair and the glare of the spotlight as they took on Mastermind for BBC Children in Need, under the watchful eye of Clive Myrie
• The cast of 9-5: The Musical treating viewers to showstopping performance alongside some of the stars from Drag Race UK
• Star of BBC Three’s Angels of the North, Sammyjo, and her team of Longlox girls welcoming two very special guests for a well-deserved pampering session at the infamous Gateshead super salon
• A Graham Norton Red Chair special, which saw Stephen Fry, Oti Mabuse, Johnny Vegas, and Shaun Wallace having their fate decided by a group of children who took control of the notorious lever!

The real stars of the night however have been the children and young people who shared their stories and brought to life how money raised this evening will go on to make a difference to children and young people in urgent need of support across the UK.

Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive, BBC Children in Need, says: “What a truly remarkable evening – we’ve laughed, we’ve cried, but above all, we’ve been inspired by the children and young people who so bravely shared their stories. Kindness sits at the heart of all that we do, and tonight the kindness of the UK has shone through and shown the children and young people across the UK that need us most, that we are here for them. Thank you.”

This evening’s night of entertainment marked the crescendo of this year’s Appeal which has seen a plethora of fundraising feats and inspiring programming, including:

• BBC North West Tonight’s weather presenter, Owain Wyn Evans, take on a mammoth challenge to drum, constantly for 24 hours. Owain took to the stage on Appeal night to find out that in total, his monumental challenge raised a truly whopping £3,601,138
• The One Show’s Surprise Squad for BBC Children in Need, which saw five inspirational young people delivering surprises across the country with the help of The One Show’s presenters, Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas and Ronan Keating, which raised a remarkable £1,674,469
• The DIY SOS team, joined by presenter Rhod Gilbert, transform a 2.5 acre overgrown site into a purpose-built adventure campsite for St Michael’s Youth Project (St Mike’s), raising £352,758 along the way
• Dr Alex George, shining a light on young people’s mental health, in his poignant and powerful film: Dr Alex George: Our Young Mental Health Crisis
• The 2021 Ramble special, which saw Countryfile presenters and inspirational children and young people rambling in six breath-taking locations across the UK, contributing to Countryfile’s incredible 2021 fundraising total of £3,551,710
• The Great Rickshaw Relay Challenge which saw Matt Baker and a team of incredibly inspiring young people, all of whom who have all been supported by BBC Children in Need funded projects, take on a relay-style ride across the UK, raising a phenomenal £2,102,980
• Sophie Ellis-Bextor undertake an epic Kitchen Disco Danceathon which saw her dance for 24 hours for Radio 2’s BBC Children in Need Challenge 2021, contributing to BBC Radio 2’s overall total of £1,257,959

The BBC Children in Need Appeal Show is a BBC Studios production, executive produced by Peter Davey and Andrew Cartmell. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Rachel Ashdown.

~Ends~

• BBC Children in Need contact: [email protected]
• BBC Press Office: 020 7765 5900
• Images are available from: bbcpictures.com

Notes to Editors

BBC Children in Need’s 2020 Appeal show culminated with an on-the-night total of £37 million.

About BBC Children in Need

BBC Children in Need’s vision is that every child in the UK has a safe, happy and secure childhood and the chance to reach their potential.  The charity will realise this vision by supporting, promoting and publicising work that addresses the challenges that children and young people face and work that builds their skills and resilience.

BBC Children in Need is currently supporting over 2,500 local charities and projects in communities across the UK that are helping children and young people facing a range of disadvantages such as living in poverty, being disabled or ill, or experiencing distress, neglect or trauma.

Further information on BBC Children in Need can be found at bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios Production makes around 2000 hours of content annually for the BBC and other UK and international broadcasters and received 79 awards and over 300 nominations over the past year, making it the most awarded producer in the UK. Spanning drama, comedy, factual, factual entertainment, entertainment, music and events, its award-winning credits include Strictly Come Dancing, Blue Planet II, Doctor Who, Good Omens, This Country, Famalam, Louis Theroux and Later With Jools, Glastonbury, Eurovision, as well as much-loved long-running series like Top Gear, EastEnders, DIY SOS and Countryfile. Since launching as a commercial business in April 2017, BBC Studios has won over 30 third-party commissions, including commissions from Apple, National Geographic, Channel 4, Sky, UKTV, Channel 5, Discovery, PBS, Quibi, ABC in Australia and Migu in China.

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