BBC Children in Need raises over £45m

The BBC's 2025 Children in Need appeal has raised more than £45m to help children and young people across the UK - with this likely to rise.

Hosts Paddy McGuinness, Mel Giedroyc, Lenny Rush, Rochelle Humes, Vernon Kay and Big Zuu fronted the annual fundraising show on BBC One. The bumper appeal show saw sketches involving stars from Gladiators and The Apprentice, as well as a performance from some of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals.

Other acts included Lewis Capaldi, McFly's Tom Fletcher and his son Buzz.

The total announced at the end of the three-hour show was £45,507,536.

More than £9.5m of which was raised by Sara Cox for her 135-mile challenge. The BBC Radio 2 DJ took part in five marathons in five days - running, jogging and walking through northern England, ending in the town of Pudsey.

Speaking to fellow Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills at the finish line on Friday afternoon, Cox said: "It's just been the maddest, most painful, wonderful thing I've ever, ever done."

"I've never had shapely calves in my life," she joked, "But I have now because they are so swollen, it looks like I've been hit with a bat."

She said during the appeal show: "It was like a rollercoaster... literally my mood was changing every three, four, seconds - it was a lot."

Cox told the hosts she was "absolutely exhausted" but that it had been "the most amazing, painful and wonderful few days of my life".

During Friday morning's Radio 2 breakfast show with Scott Mills, Cox also received support from The Prince of Wales.

During The Apprentice skit, the script was flipped on Lord Sugar as he found himself on the receiving end of an intense boardroom grilling.

The entrepreneur explained that he "owed a favour to Pudsey" and that was why he allowed eight children to ask questions like: "Why is your name Lord Sugar when you are so salty all the time?"

"Well Sugar is my name and that's it, what can I say?" he replied.

The live programme also saw Giedroyc and Big Zuu led in a live workout by fitness expert Joe Wicks, which also featured some of Strictly's professional dancers.

Newscast, the BBC's daily news podcast, also got in on the action, with presenter Adam Fleming taking on a 25-hour podcasting mission between Thursday and Friday.

The 25-hour podcast included a range of BBC radio presenters and podcasters, including the regular Newscast team, the CBeebies Radio and 5 Live Daily podcast teams.

Children in Need is the BBC's charity for disadvantaged children and young people, and has raised more than £1bn for charities and projects since its first major appeal in 1980.