Children In Need Sets New £26Million Fundraising Record After JLS And Gok Wan Join Event

Children In Need Sets New Record Total - But How Much Did It Raise?

The Children in Need fundraising extravaganza has raised a record on-the-night total of £26 million.

The figure was announced at the end of the six-hour charity marathon at 2am.

Host Sir Terry Wogan 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."

The total sum was confirmed as £26,332,334, more than £8 million more than the amount raised last year. It will now be hoped that the appeal can top the record for the final total, which was set at £40 million in 2010.

The BBC One show featured a wide range of stars, with JLS, Lord Sugar, fashion guru Gok Wan, the cast of The Wizard of Oz and four BBC newsreaders among those providing entertainment.

Boyband One Direction kicked the event off with their single What Makes You Beautiful.

Sir Terry's co-hosts Tess Daly, Alesha Dixon and Fearne Cotton were all dressed in gold and posed like Charlie's Angels as Destiny's Child's song Independent Women blasted through the studio.

Earlier in the evening, Matt Baker arrived at the BBC studios after cycling a rickshaw from Edinburgh to London and hugged co-host Alex Jones, expressing his relief at having completed the challenge. The presenter raised £1,263,272 during a journey which lasted eight days and covered a total of 484 miles.

Four BBC newsreaders - Sian Williams, Sophie Raworth, Emily Maitlis and Susanna Reid - got into the spirit of things by swapping the newsdesk for the dancefloor as they took part in a Strictly Come Dancing performance with the show's professional dancers. Presenter Angela Rippon then joined the four couples on the floor and 67-year-old famously got her legs out as she emerged from behind a desk, harking back to a Morecambe And Wise TV special in 1977.

Meanwhile the cast of The Wizard of Oz raised more than £10,000 and performed a variety of songs from the hit musical.

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