The 2016 Children In Need TV extravaganza is coming this Friday (18 Nov), with a whole load of treats coming your way.
Get ready to get comfy, be entertained and ready to donate!
Tess Daley and Greg James will be kicking off the night in the hopes of smashing last years’ record £37.1 million total funds raised with a show packed with comedy sketches, live music, and reimagined versions of favourite BBC shows.
But when exactly is everything on and when? Well, we’ll break it down for you.
When does Children in Need start?
The main show starts on BBC One at 7.30pm with Tess Daley and Greg James in command. Viewers can expect a performance by the cast of Disney’s West End hit musical Aladdin and a special edition of Would I Lie To You?
Children in Need EastEnders Knees Up
The residents of Albert Square will be showing off moves we certainly had no idea that they had with a dance medley inspired by movies of the ‘80s. We are praying for Danny Dyer to get Footloose – and just imagine Dot Cotton being lifted like Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. A sneak peak of the Doctor Who Christmas special – which sees Matt Lucas assisting Peter Capaldi’s Doctor – airing soon after.
Strictly Goes Rio Grand
At 8.30 prepare to (fox)trot off to the ballroom where members of the triumphant Olympic Team GB will be hoping to swap gold medals for the glitterball trophy in a Strictly Come Dancing special. Olympic rowing ace (and multi gold medal winning) Helen Glover will be sashaying across the dance floor with pro dancer Pasha Kovalev, Hollie Webb – who was a member of the gold winning hockey team in Rio – will be aiming for success with dance partner Neil Jones, Rio’s gold winning canoeist Joe Clarke is paired with dance professional Janette Manrara, and London 2012 taekwondo gold winner Lutalo Muhammad will dance for success with Karen Clifton. Expect sequins as well as steely determination from these pro athletes.
Fantastic Pudsey and Where to Find Him
Mel and Sue are swapping Bake Off for Fantastic Beasts, joining Eddie Redmayne as his on-screen Harry Potter spin-off character Newt Scamander on the hunt for Pudsey Bear in a charity sketch inspired by current box office blockbuster Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at 9pm. Tess and Greg will also hand over hosting responsibilities to Graham Norton and Ade Adepitan.
Children In Need Charity single
Craig David will be on air after 9.30 as he sings the official Children In Need charity single, All We Needed – taken from his chart topping comeback album, Follow My Intuition.
Who's performing on Children In Need?
All the Children In Need action switches to BBC Two at 10pm – where Shane Richie introduces performances from Michael Buble, Take That, Ellie Goulding, and Olly Murs.
Show Climax
Rochelle and Marvin Humes take over hosting back on BBC One from 10.40pm. The newly expecting couple will preside over the final spot of the night with Little Mix, Busted and Zara Larsson performing tunes, more singing from the cast of Aladdin, and comedian Russell Kane adding jokes from 11.30pm – while the grand total of the night will be unveiled before the show ends at 1am.
Children In Need's Tribute to Terry
Children In Need arguably would not exist without Terry Wogan who pioneered the telethon when it first launched in 1980 and Friday night's show will be the first broadcast since the TV and radio legend died back in January aged 77. This years’ host Graham Norton has vowed to ‘raise as much money as we possibly can in honour of the late Sir Terry Wogan,’ while hostess Tess Daley has shared her fondest memory of the late broadcaster – bridging both her roles on Children In Need and Strictly Come Dancing.
‘We had a great time together when we both danced on the Strictly Special for BBC Children in Need a few years back,’ she recalled to the BBC.
‘We were competing against each other. He, dancing the Waltz with Flavia and I, dancing the Viennese Waltz with Anton. He kept telling me how much he had been training and kept saying “Watch your heels Daly, I have got this sewn up, I am going to win!” He was the host of the original Come Dancing back in the day and a bit of a ballroom fan himself. Of course it transpired that he was teasing me,’ she explained.
‘On the night, we went head to head and I won. I don’t know how it happened! Maybe the judges were just feeling generous - or pity! He told me afterwards that he had only rehearsed for an hour and a half! Ah, we had so much fun and banter doing that,’ she laughed – adding the star will be missed on the night, particularly: ‘his lovely face with that ever present cheeky glint in his eye.’
Children In Need 2016 will be preceded by a special of The One Show at 7pm featuring an update on the current Rickshaw Challenge which sees host Matt Baker and six young riders making their way through a 470 mile fund raising cycle.
They are expected to reach the end of their route during the main Children In Need show around 9.30pm.
Find out more and how to get involved in fundraising by visiting the Children In Need website.