BBC Children In Need returns to BBC One on Friday 19 November live from Media City UK, Salford
BBC Children In Need will be live from Media City UK in Salford for the first time ever for an evening of must-see television on Friday 19 November from 7pm-10pm
Published: 2 November 2021
Updated: 9 November 2021
BBC Children in Need is a national symbol of who we are. It’s our opportunity to help others who are struggling."
BBC News and Sports journalists sing their hearts out for an special lip-synch round of the BBC One singing game show I Can See Your Voice, a teddy bear gets a new lease of life at The Repair Shop, Team GB and Paralympics GB get together to compete in a school sports day and CBBC presenters Sam and Mark take on game show The Wall for this year’s BBC Children in Need Appeal show. There will also be music performances from global superstar Ed Sheeran and fellow chart-topping artist Tom Grennan.
These are just some of the highlights in store for viewers at home along with more exciting performances, special guests and a few surprises along the way.
BBC Children In Need will be presented by some of the biggest names in showbiz as the nation raises money for children and young people across the UK facing a range of disadvantages.
The presenters are Ade Adepitan MBE, Mel Giedroyc, Graham Norton, Chris Ramsey and Alex Scott MBE, who will be live from the studio in Salford to take viewers through a glittering evening of fun and fundraising.
The money raised through BBC Children In Need’s 2021 Appeal will help support local charities and projects which are providing essential frontline help to children and young people in communities throughout the UK.
Donation Details
Supporting BBC Children In Need this year is easier than ever. To learn more about the charity or make a donation to help transform the lives of children and young people across the UK, visit bbcchildreninneed.co.uk
- You can also call 0345 7 33 22 33 and make a donation over the phone. (Standard geographic charges from landlines and mobiles will apply).
- You can donate on the phone or on the BBC Children in Need website. Use your debit or credit card, or your PayPal account.
- Pay in your fundraising money at all major banks, building societies, or the Post Office.
- Send a cheque or postal order to BBC Children in Need, PO Box 648, Salford, M5 0LB.
- To donate £5 text the word DONATE to 70405, to donate £10 text the word DONATE to 70410, to donate £20 text DONATE to 70420 or to donate £30 text DONATE to 70430. Texts will cost your donation plus your standard network message charge and all of your donation will go to BBC Children In Need. You must be 16 or over and have the bill payer‘s permission. Text Services close at midnight on 30 November 2022. For full terms and more information visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey
Appeal Night Highlights
I Can See Your Voice
The addictive play-a-long singing game show is back with a special lip sync challenge for BBC Children in Need. Paddy McGuinness hosts and is joined by Celebrity Investigators Jimmy Carr, Alison Hammond and Amanda Holden, who are helped by Pudsey himself.
Stepping up to the mic are three celebrity mystery singers: BBC Sport presenter Mike Bushell, Newsreader Kate Silverton and broadcaster and Radio 2 presenter Jason Mohammad. With each of the famous faces performing an iconic lip sync, will the celebrity investigators be able to spot the bad singer in the line up?
The Wall
Danny Dyer presents a special edition of the popular BBC One gameshow especially for BBC Children in Need. CBBC TV presenters Sam and Mark will face tricky questions in a round of Free Fall taking on The Wall, in an attempt to win money for children and young people facing disadvantages across the UK.
Team GB and Paralympics GB School Sports Day
They may be masters in their field in the sporting world, but who will come out on top in an egg and spoon race? Watch some of the nation’s sporting heroes go head to head in a very competitive school sports day.
The Repair Shop
A special repair for BBC Children in Need. Jay Blades and bear repair duo Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell carry out a unique restoration for a young boy who really deserves a treat.
Thirteen year-old Billy and his mum Mandy, whose family have been supported by a BBC Children in Need funded project, bring a very special bear called Henry to The Repair Shop barn, in the hope that the ladies can work their magic on him. Henry has had one too many spins in the washing machine and is now a shadow of his former self. His features have worn away, his fur is lacking lustre, his stuffing has dwindled, and his original clothing is long gone. He is certainly worthy of some specialist TLC, so it’s over to the talented restorers to work their magic.
The Graham Norton Show - Red Chair special
Celebrities take on the infamous red chair from The Graham Norton Show but in a special BBC Children in Need twist, their fate is decided by a group of children who preside over the notorious lever!
Angels Of The North
Star of BBC Three’s Angels of the North Sammyjo and her team of Longlox girls welcome two very special guests (who have benefitted from support from BBC Children in Need funded projects) for a well-deserved pampering session at the infamous Gateshead super salon. Some extra ‘help’ and sparkle is delivered by a very enthusiastic celebrity trainee junior for the day, Celebs Go Dating’s Tom Read-Wilson, who gets involved with the salon banter.
Musical Performances
In true BBC Children In Need style, there’ll be plenty of music performances to get viewers dancing and singing along at home including a very special performance from global superstar and multi-award winning artist Ed Sheeran.
Fellow chart-topper Tom Grennan will perform By Your Side with a little help from schools around the UK singing along via video wall. The cast of the UK Tour of 9 to 5 The Musical will take to the stage for a performance and for the first time ever, a talented singer who has benefitted from support from BBC Children In Need funded projects will give an emotional solo to the millions watching from home on the night.
Appeal films
During the show, films of children from around the UK will be shown to highlight the important work of BBC Children In Need. BBC Children In Need 2021: Best Bits will air on Sunday 21 November at 2.50pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer.
More highlights from the evening will be announced in the coming weeks…
Presenter Q&As
Ade Adepitan MBE
What words of encouragement would you give to those fundraising this year?
I’m passionate about fundraising and the opportunity it gives to change people’s lives immeasurably. I have been able to achieve things because of other people’s fundraising when I was younger. It can have such a positive impact on children and young people’s lives.
Does it ever cease to amaze you how generous the nation is?
No, it never ceases to amaze me. I’m always blown away by the tens of millions of pounds raised. No matter what negative things you hear on the news, the amazing amount of money raised is so positive, it just shows how generous people can be and how important BBC Children in Need is to all of us.
How important would you say BBC Children in Need has been to families across the UK over the past 18 months?
It’s hard to measure the help it will have given families over the last 18 months. No doubt with the Covid crisis across the world, now, more than ever, the support the charity will be able to offer to families is priceless.
What do you like most about presenting the evening of BBC Children in Need?
I love being part of it, and being involved in a big live show. There is so much going on, it’s really exciting. There is a real buzz, and BBC Children in Need is such a good cause.
Finally, what would you say to viewers watching?
BBC Children in Need is a national symbol of who we are. It’s our opportunity to help others who are struggling.
Mel Giedroyc
What are you most excited about in this year’s show?
I feel very honoured to be presenting BBC Children in Need for a fifth time. There are some brilliant sketches and specials in this year’s line-up - I already know it’s going to be a good’un!
What words of encouragement would you give to those fundraising this year?
Firstly - they are amazing, keep it up! We need more people like them to pull together and show that we can help children and young people. Anything people can raise and donate, literally anything will be so unbelievably gratefully received. After the past 18 months we’ve all experienced, BBC Children In Need is needed now more than ever.
The show turned 40 last year. Does it ever cease to amaze you how generous the nation is?
We already know that the British public are phenomenal. Their good spirit and willingness to raise money for others is truly inspiring. But we need everyone to keep it up and donate anything they can!
What do you like most about presenting the evening of BBC Children In Need?
It’s full of brilliant silliness and it’s all for a good cause. Seeing our favourite TV personalities doing all sorts of things in the name of fundraising - what’s not to love!
What would you say to viewers watching from home?
Fasten your seatbelts and grab the popcorn, it’s going to be one heck of a night!
Graham Norton
What are you most looking forward to in this year’s show?
I am so excited to be reunited with Mel Giedroyc and can’t wait to hear the extraordinary and inspirational stories of hard work and courage from all around the country.
What words of encouragement would you give to those fundraising this year?
Have fun and enjoy yourself - and thank you for being part of such a special fundraiser.
The show turned 40 last year. Does it ever cease to amaze you how generous the nation is?
I am always in awe at how BBC Children in Need brings everyone together, and the generosity of the British public never ceases to amaze me.
What is your favourite part of the BBC Children in Need Appeal show?
I really love seeing the round ups from different parts of the country, everyone getting involved, all the schools, and town centres, everyone is there joining in. It’s incredibly moving.
Chris Ramsey
What words of encouragement would you give to those fundraising this year?
I’d say that every single penny helps, so no matter how small or large your totals end up being it all gets added up at the end. No matter what, you’re doing an amazing thing that will help so many children.
The show turned 40 last year. Does it ever cease to amaze you how generous the nation is?
Even last year, with everything that was going on, the nation still helped us raise a gargantuan amount of money, and it just shows how generous people really are. It’s incredible.
How important would you say BBC Children in Need has been to families across the UK over the past 18 months?
It’s been more important than ever over the last 18 months, and it will continue to be as we strive to get back on track as a nation - that’s why we need to keep raising as much as we can.
Do you have a favourite part of the show each year?
I can’t explain how excited I get at the total. It’s like counting your pocket money that you’ve saved up, but much better as you’re not going to waste it all on sweets! It’s going to help change lives for the better.
Finally, what would you say to viewers watching?
Please give if you can, and if you can’t… just sit with your loved ones and enjoy the incredible show we’ve got lined up for you!
Alex Scott MBE
What are you most excited about in this year’s show?
I'm always excited to be part of the BBC Children In Need programme, but this year is super special. I honestly can’t wait for an evening of fun and entertainment for a great cause - not to mention presenting with Graham, Ade, Mel and Chris. It's undoubtably one of the most important nights in the broadcasting and fundraising calendar.
The show turned 40 last year. Does it ever cease to amaze you how generous the nation is?
Last year was a tough year for many in the UK and we still raised so much. BBC Children in Need has an incredible, long history of doing tangible positive things and this resonates, even in incomparably difficult times. The generosity we saw in 2020 was just so special.
Do you have a favourite part of the show each year?
I have to say it's the music acts for me! I am a big music fan and I love watching the artists perform live and do their thing. I also of course love when the final total is announced because it's just such a memorable moment every year.
This is your second time presenting the show, what do you love the most about taking part in the evening of BBC Children In Need?
EVERYTHING. I said last year how special it was for me personally, to be part of the show I remember watching every November as a little girl. If only little eight year-old Alex could see me now! So much work goes into this behind the scenes to produce what you see - a brilliant evening of fundraising and entertainment.
What would you say to viewers tuning in from home?
I'd say enjoy the show, give what you can and be proud of what you've achieved. Whether you've taken part in something at school, helped your kids donate or have contributed in some way - whatever it is, it's not the same without you - so thank you and see you on the 19th!
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