Look who’s raising a smile for Children In Need
CHILDREN IN NEED Friday, BBC1, 7pm
Do not adjust your vision: there’s a very good reason you’re seeing spots before your eyes. For this year’s mammoth charity fundraiser for Children In Need has been given a style makeover to become The Great SPOTacular Appeal Night – matching Pudsey Bear’s spotty eye bandage. But otherwise, be assured: this is still the same dependably enjoyable feast of entertainment.
A host of stars is gathering to present the live broadcast from Media City UK in Salford, where (from left) Mel
Giedroyc, Alex Scott and
Chris Ramsey are among the presenters. You can look forward to special editions of popular shows including Blankety Blank and The Repair Shop, while we can also see who’ll be brave enough to take a seat in
Graham Norton’s notorious red chair to await the unforgiving verdict on the quality of their anecdote.
Along with that, you can also expect an almost uninterrupted stream of surprises as sketches and dance and music performances from star names keep coming.
Among the other celebrities involved are TV presenter Katie Piper, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams, former Love Island host Laura Whitmore and winner
Dani Dyer, plus Strictly Come Dancing’s Tilly Ramsay and
The One Show’s Anita Rani.
Earlier in the week, in The Rickshaw Relay Rides Again (Tuesday, BBC1, 8pm), Matt Baker hits the road with five youngsters who have taken part in projects funded by Children In Need, pedalling away on a route across the country that takes in their home towns to raise money.
It’s a chance to look back at the history of the rickshaw charity fundraiser – now in its 12th year.
Then, join Nick Knowles and his team in Leeds for DIY SOS: Children In Need (Wednesday, BBC1, 9pm) as they join radio stars Sara Cox, Scott Mills and Trevor Nelson to build a new base for Getaway Girls, a charity dedicated to female empowerment. Look out for singer Emeli Sandé giving musical coaching to local young women as they prepare a thank-you song for the unveiling of the new site.