This year BBC Children in Need will be celebrating its 40th anniversary culminating in a very special evening of unmissable television live from BBC Elstree Studios on Friday 13 November.

From Strictly Come Dancing, to EastEnders and Doctor Who, the fundraising spectacular will be jam-packed with exclusive sketches, exciting performances, music, dance and a few surprises! Hosted by some of the biggest names in entertainment, the show will be a brilliant spectacle not to miss and will raise money for children and young people across the UK facing a range of disadvantages, who need help now more than ever. The money raised through BBC Children in Need’s 2020 Appeal will help support local charities and projects which are providing essential frontline help to children and young people in communities throughout the UK.

This year the show will be hosted by Mel Giedroyc, Stephen Mangan, Alex Scott MBE and Chris Ramsey as the hosts come together to help disadvantaged children and young people across 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 £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 30th November 2021. For full terms and more information visit bbcchildreninneed.co.uk

Appeal night highlights

The One Show does Children in Need

The night of entertainment will include a special segment from The One Show hosted by Alex Jones and Ade Adepitan MBE which will see the finale of this year’s The One Show Rickshaw challenge as well as other highlights.

Pudsey Bear: Behind the Bandana

Despite his long-standing role with BBC Children in Need, very little is known about the big yellow Bear’s private life outside of his charity work - until now. With contributions from the who’s who of the entertainment, music and drama worlds, expect some surprising revelations and to see Pudsey Bear in a whole new light.

The Goes Wrong Show

Here comes trouble… The cast of BBC One’s The Goes Wrong Show decide to a do a special sketch especially for BBC Children in Need. But what could possibly go wrong?

The Repair Shop

In a thatched barn in the English countryside, The Repair Shop is the workshop of dreams… a magical place, where battered and broken family heirlooms are brought back to life by a team of talented restorers.

In this Children in Need special, Jay Blades and Teddy Bear Ladies Amanda and Julie, carry out a unique restoration for a young girl who really deserves a treat.

Musical performances

There’ll be an abundance of singing and dancing from the best of the West End, with performances from Cinderella The Musical and the cast of SIX! Also singing live is the sensational Beverley Knight AND with a performance recorded especially for BBC Children in Need, is the multi award-winning Shawn Mendes.

Appeal films

Throughout the evening, films of children from around the UK will be shown to highlight the important work from BBC Children in Need.

BBC Children in Need 2020: Best Bits will air on Sunday 15 November at 3.50pm.

More highlights from the evening will be announced in the coming weeks…

Presenters Q&A

Mel Giedroyc

How does it feel to be presenting BBC Children in Need on its 40th anniversary?

I feel incredibly honoured to be presenting my fourth BBC Children in Need on this very special anniversary. I can’t believe it’s 40 years old - two years older than me!

Why is BBC Children in Need so special to you?

It’s a time I associate with family, and of course, my own children growing up. It’s a time when I think the country comes together in a very brilliant and simple way. We are reminded that children are the most precious commodity we have in Society and that they need nurturing and helping. It’s more important this year than ever before.

BBC Children in Need is 40 this year, do you have a favourite memory of BBC Children in Need?

Sue and I dressing up as Princess Leia to take part in the amazing Star Wars droids sketch is pretty hard to beat. I actually cried when I met R2D2. The chefs stripping (must have been in the 80s) to The Full Monty cannot be unseen either…

What would you say to those who are thinking about donating to BBC Children in Need?

2020 will be remembered as a very challenging year. But this year more than ever, anything you can donate, literally anything, will be so unbelievably gratefully received. This year more than ever we need to pull together and show that we can help children - more children living on the poverty line, more children dealing with mental health issues, more children likely to fall through the cracks in society if we are not there to give them this vital support.

Are there any rituals you do to prepare before going out on stage that you’ll use on the night?

I’ll toast Terry W before I go on stage.

Chris Ramsey

How does it feel to be presenting on BBC Children in Need on its 40th anniversary?

It’s an absolute honour and a privilege to be asked to be a part of BBC Children in Need in any way shape or form... but to be asked to be on the presenting team on the night is another level.

What are you most excited about?

I really want that figure at the end of the night to be absolutely huge. It’s been such a hard year for so many children and I’m looking forward to helping raise some serious money for the charity.

Why is BBC Children in Need so special to you?

Well, I’ve watched it my entire life, so it’s incredible to be a presenter this year but I also did some work for BBC Children in Need a few years ago and ended up becoming a patron of a charity for young carers in the North East.

BBC Children in Need is 40 this year, do you have a favourite memory of BBC Children in Need?

The memory that sticks with me is just my whole family sitting down to watch it when I was younger. It was always such a huge event in the TV calendar and the entire night is a rollercoaster of emotion.

What would you say to those who are thinking about donating to BBC Children in Need?

Please do! I’ve donated myself many times in the past, and with text donations and stuff - it’s so easy. Even if you just give a couple of quid, it all helps!

Are there any rituals you do to prepare before going out on stage that you’ll use on the night?

I’ve never had a ritual because I know that if I ever forgot to do it before a show, even if the show was going well, I’d realise and absolutely crumble midway through.

It’s been a very different year for all of us. How important do you think BBC Children in Need is during these times?

More than ever. Charities and vulnerable people have taken a huge hit this year, more than others and more than usual. So many fundraising events in a charity calendar have disappeared so this is our chance to undo some of that.

Stephen Mangan

How does it feel to be presenting BBC Children in Need on its 40th anniversary?

Exciting! What an honour.

Why is BBC Children in Need so special to you?

It’s part of the fabric and rhythm of our lives, a truly great British institution. The generosity, selflessness and kindness it inspires makes me proud to be British.

BBC Children in Need is 40 this year, do you have a favourite memory of BBC Children in Need?

I don’t know if it’s a ‘favourite’ memory but I won’t ever forget those chefs doing a Full Monty striptease!

What would you say to those who are thinking about donating to BBC Children in Need?

When times are difficult, as they are now for so many, it’s even more important for us to think of those who need our help. It’s a wonderful charity.

It’s been a very different year for all of us. How important do you think BBC Children in Need is during these times?

The whole world is struggling with the repercussions of this current situation and we know that in difficult times it’s the vulnerable in society that suffer the most. That makes the work of a charity and an event like BBC Children in Need more urgent and more vital than ever.

Alex Scott MBE

How does it feel to be presenting on BBC Children in Need on its 40th anniversary?

Well it’s a complete honour, and to be honest, it’s a bit surreal! BBC Children in Need has been a show that I have grown up with, so to be joining the presenting line up is amazing.

I don’t think a little 8-year-old Alex watching at home all those years ago would have ever dreamed that one day I could be presenting it - what a dream come true. It goes to show that anything can happen, no matter your circumstances or background - never stop dreaming.

What are you most excited about?

I’m really excited that we get to bring a night of entertainment to the Nation in what’s been a tough time for a lot of people. We hope to bring smiles to faces, whilst raising a lot of money for children who desperately need our support.

Why is BBC Children in Need so special to you?

BBC Children in Need is special to me on so many different levels. It gives children hope and hope is everything. Every child deserves the chance to be somebody and BBC Children in Need always goes above and beyond to try and make this happen year in year out.

BBC Children in Need is 40 this year, do you have a favourite memory of BBC Children in Need?

For me, it’s that staple, iconic show which is part of my childhood. I remember it every year, sitting down to watch it and loving feeling a part of not only the entertainment but a movement of good and change. And of course, Pudsey - who is an icon in his own right!

What would you say to those who are thinking about donating to BBC Children in Need?

It’s a really tough time for the British public, but what this year has shown is how we can come together in tough times for people that need us. If people can donate, you know it will go towards a great cause, and watching gives the show and cause awareness which is so important.

Are there any rituals you do to prepare before going out on stage that you’ll use on the night?

Before going on stage I like to stay very calm and chilled - I always have music on! I always remind myself of how lucky I am to be in this position so I will have fun and enjoy every moment. People always ask me how I deal with the pressure of TV and live TV but my answer is always, "Pressure is privilege" (a Billie Jean King quote) - enjoy the moment!

It’s been a very different year for all of us. How important do you think BBC Children in Need is during these times?

It gives the nation a chance to come together again, in what has been a very difficult and different year.