Children In Need and Pudsey Bear returned on Friday night with the charity’s 2024 telethon.
Hosted by presenters including Vernon Kay and Rochelle Humes, the BBC fundraiser featured a host of special segments, like Bluey dancing on Strictly Come Dancing, a sneak peek at Doctor Who‘s upcoming festive special and a moving message from Girls Aloud. There was also an appearance from Paddy McGuinness, who raised millions with his huge cycling challenge.
Here are some of the biggest and most emotional moments from the 2024 show.
There were emotional scenes as TV star Paddy McGuinness arrived in the studio fresh from his epic bike ride, which saw him ride almost 300 miles from Wales to Scotland on a Raleigh Chopper bike.
The star, who spent five days on the road, didn’t know how much he’d made until his friend Sir Chris Hoy – who helped him prepare for the cycling challenge – carried in the cheque for £8,856,580. Looking stunned he threw his arms around the cyclist, who recently announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.
McGuinness said of his challenge: “I am literally, underneath these clothes it’s all Sellotape and safety pins… when you are in it you kind of just get on with it, it’s when you finish after. I came down from Glasgow today and I got out of the car and I was like, ‘Oh my God I’m sore’ but you know. it is what it is.
“But the actual joy of doing it, you can’t call it a challenge can you, honestly it’s a privilege.”
Viewers called for children’s animated sensation Bluey to be given a slot in the Strictly final after she took to the dancefloor in a special segment.
Thanks to some TV magic, the much-loved dog from the cartoon joined the BBC show’s pro dancers for a dazzling routine. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Dianne Buswell, Johannes Radebe and Michelle Tsiakkas, Bluey cracked out familiar moves like The Floss and The Mashed Potato in a jive to Land Of 1000 Dances.
Viewers loved the clever dance, posting messages on X saying the character deserved a 10. “Bluey Oh my God I love that, the animation was SO GOOD,” exclaimed one.
“I want to see Bluey get to the final,” said someone else. Another excited fan quipped: “BLUEY I GIVE YOU A 10, YOU’RE OFF TO BLACKPOOL.”
Viewers were moved to tears as actor Gary Oldman read a special CBeebies Bedtime Story with Pudsey in his lap.
Several big names have read the stories over the years, including Ed Sheeran, Kate Winslet, Tom Hardy and Kate Middleton. But in a special twist, Oldman’s story about two girls and a mum who had cancer was a real one. At the end of the tale, he said: “Now that story is a very very special one because it is a true bedtime story of a family who have been supported by Children in Need.”
The Oscar-winner then shared that they were in the studio audience.
“Not me crying at Gary Oldman reading a bedtime story,” one person wrote on X. Someone else remarked: “I always watch CBeebies. Hearing the Bedtime Story say the words cancer and die just really hit hard. Wow.”
One of the telethon’s highlights was a peek at the Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World. The clip was introduced by new Timelord Ncuti Gatwa and showed him and companion Joy (Nicola Coughlan) investigating a briefcase in what looked like a hut in the jungle.
Suddenly, the hut started to shake and everything in it began to wobble. The Doctor carries on chatting about the briefcase as Joy starts to back up in horror, then, much to everyone’s surprise, a T-rex burst from the trees.
“Dinosaurs for Christmas!” exclaimed one fan on X. “Doctor Who? Dinosaurs? CHRISTMAS?” someone else wrote.
Sixteen-year-old Ethan moved viewers as he performed This Is Me from The Greatest Showman with Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular.
Ethan was diagnosed with Hurler Syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis type 1) when he was a baby, a rare condition that affects his growth, bones, hearing and eyesight.
Clad in a ringmaster’s costume, he took centre stage as performers including XXX belted out their rousing rendition.
“I want to show the world that disabled people should be in the spotlight and they shouldn’t be put to the side anymore,” Ethan said.
One fan posted a message on X admitting they were “in bits” after the stirring performance, as another said: “Ethan on children in need just made me proper tear up.”
“Well you have a hard heart not to be weeping buckets at Ethan xx,” said someone else.
Sara Davies and Deborah Meaden had a taste of life on the other side of Dragons’ Den when they pitched an idea to fellow Dragons Steven Bartlett, Peter Jones and Touker Suleyman.
The duo were filmed in the lift heading to the Den, nervously prepping to introduce their idea.
Read more: Children in Need
When they got there they explained that they were pitching Gift Aid, with the clever skit working as both a way to explain what it worked and as a Dragons’ Den spoof.
Girls Aloud paid an emotional tribute to their late bandmate Sarah Harding as they shared that they were re-releasing their new version of their hit single I’ll Stand By You in aid of Children in Need.
The track was released as a Children in Need song in 2004. Harding died in 2021 at the age of 39 after being diagnosed with cancer, and since then her bandmates Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle and Kimberley Walsh have been performing it as a tribute to her.
“Since her death that song has taken on a whole new meaning for us,” Walsh said.
Roberts added: “When we got back together to tour earlier this year we dedicated the song I’ll Stand By You to Sarah at every show. We went through the Girls Aloud vault and put together a version where Sarah’s incredible voice took the lead so we could duet with her.”
Before the song was played, Walsh said: “This is I’ll Stand By You, Sarah’s version, the official Children in Need 2024 single and it’s dedicated tonight, again, to our Sarah. We miss you and we love you.”
Teenager Tanisha blew viewers away when she when performed a duet with Ella Henderson in honour of her late father Mario, who died when she was 15 after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. The pair sang Henderson’s track Brave, leading fans to call the teen “amazing”.
Henderson said Tanisha was “an absolute superstar”, telling the crowd: “Do you know this is the first time she’s ever sang, not just on TV, but in front of a crowd of people!”
Presenter Roman Kemp previously met Tanisha when she was on The One Show, and he was tearful as he congratulated her on her performance.
“Since the day that you stood in front of us on The One Show and explained your story, I know all you wanted to do was do your dad proud and I know for a fact, after tonight, that is such an incredible thing,” he said. “You should never forget that.”
