:Children in Need
{{Short description|UK charity of the BBC}}
{{Copy edit|date=April 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| alt_name = BBC Children in Need
| image = BBC Children in Need 2022.svg
| genre = Charity telethon
| creator = BBC Studios
| presenter = {{plainlist|
- Sir Terry Wogan
- Sue Lawley
- Sue Cook
- Gaby Roslin
- Gloria Hunniford
- Esther Rantzen
- Joanna Lumley
- Andi Peters
- Chris Moyles
- Tess Daly
- Alesha Dixon
- Fearne Cotton
- Rochelle Humes
- Marvin Humes
- Greg James
- Ade Adepitan
- Graham Norton
- Mel Giedroyc
- Matt Edmondson
- Rob Beckett
- Tom Allen
- Alex Scott
- Chris Ramsey
- Stephen Mangan
- Jason Manford
- Lenny Rush
- Vernon Kay
}}
| narrated = Alan Dedicoat
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| location = {{plainlist|
- BBC Television Centre (1980–2012)
- BBC Elstree Centre (2013–20)
- Dock10 studios (2021–){{cite web |url=https://www.dock10.co.uk/about/news/bbcs-children-in-need-and-comic-reliefs-red-nose-day-set-to-broadcast-live-from-dock10-studios/ |title=BBC's Children in Need and Comic Relief's Red Nose Day set to broadcast live from dock10 studios |publisher=Dock10 |accessdate=20 September 2021}}
}}
| camera = Multi-camera
| runtime = 5 mins – 7 hours
| company = BBC Television
BBC Studios Entertainment Productions
| first_aired = {{Start date|1980|11|21|df=yes}}
| last_aired = present
| related = Comic Relief (1988–present)
Sport Relief (2002–2020)
}}
BBC Children in Need is the BBC's UK charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its fundraising efforts.{{cite web |title=BBC Children in Need – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) |url=https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/about-us/faqs/ |website=BBC |access-date=17 September 2023}}
The charity's flagship event is an annual telethon broadcast every November on BBC One and BBC Two. Pudsey Bear has served as its mascot, while the late Sir Terry Wogan hosted the event for 35 years. As a cornerstone of British television, Children in Need is one of the UK's two major telethons, alongside Comic Relief's Red Nose Day. It remains the BBC's sole in-house charity.
Originally broadcast from the BBC Television Centre, the telethon relocated to the BBC Elstree Centre between 2013 and 2020 following the closure of the former.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/children-in-need-presenter-lineup|title=BBC – Star-studded presenter line-up announced for BBC Children in Need 2017 – Media Centre|website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=14 March 2018}} Historically lasting up to seven hours, the event was streamlined to a three-hour programme (7:00 pm to 10:00 pm) from 2020 onwards.{{Cite web |title=BBC - BBC Children in Need, 2022, Live Show |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001f8kb |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}} To accommodate family-friendly content, the television watershed is postponed until 11:30 pm on the night of the broadcast.
The 2020 telethon, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, featured a significantly reduced format with just four presenters: Mel Giedroyc, Alex Scott, Chris Ramsey, and Stephen Mangan.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/cin-2020#heading-appeal-night-highlights-|title=BBC – BBC Children in Need returns to BBC One on Friday 13 November at 7pm, live from BBC Elstree Studios – Media Centre|date=3 November 2020|website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=5 November 2020}} Since November 2021, the event has been staged at Dock10, MediaCityUK in Salford.{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BBCCiN/status/1418513885938786304|title=The BBC's Children in Need appeal now took place in dock10 studios in Manchester, located on behalf of MediaCityUK, that will be a new home for Pudsey and its presenters.}} In October 2023, it was announced that Lenny Rush—a children's television star and future Doctor Who actor—would become the first child co-presenter in the charity's history during the 2023 appeal broadcast.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/bbcstudios/2023/lenny-rush-joins-bbc-children-in-need-presenting-line-up|title=BBC – Lenny Rush joins BBC Children in Need presenting line-up – Media Centre|date=18 October 2023|website=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=9 November 2023}}
History
= Earlier BBC appeals =
The BBC's inaugural charity appeal was a five-minute radio broadcast on Christmas Day 1927, raising approximately £1,342 for four children's charities.{{cite web |title=Our History |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/aboutus/history.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091025155547/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/aboutus/history.shtml |archive-date=25 October 2009 |access-date=17 November 2014 |publisher=BBC}}
The first televised appeal, the Children's Hour, aired in 1955. Fronted by Harry Corbett and the yellow glove puppet Sooty Bear, these appeals continued annually on television and radio until 1979, raising a total of £625,836. Sir Terry Wogan made his debut during the five-minute appeal in 1978 and returned in 1979. Animated characters such as Peter Pan and Tom and Jerry occasionally featured in these broadcasts.
= ''BBC Children in Need'' =
File:BBC pudsey bear in sheffield children in need-2009.jpg
The first dedicated Children in Need telethon aired in 1980, replacing standard continuity segments with fundraising appeals during evening programming. Presented by Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley, and Esther Rantzen, the event raised £1 million, exclusively for UK-based children's charities—a significant increase from previous campaigns.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-14 |title=How to donate to Children in Need - everything you need to know |url=https://www.dunmowbroadcast.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/24723420.donate-bbc-children-need---need-know/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Dunmow Broadcast |language=en}}
By 1984, the telethon evolved into a single continuous programme, abandoning regular programming slots. The format expanded to include radio and online content, with Wogan remaining the primary host until 2014. He stepped down due to health issues and died in 2016.{{Cite web |title=Sir Terry Wogan: Veteran broadcaster dies, aged 77 - BBC News |work=BBC News |date=31 January 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35453541}}
In 1988, BBC Children in Need registered as a charity in England and Wales (no. 802052), followed by Scottish registration (SC039557) in 2008. A notable partnership in 2020 saw the charity collaborate with the McLaren Formula One Team at a race to support initiatives in Turkey.{{citation needed|date=December 2024}}
Simon Antrobus has served as chief executive since 2016.
=Sponsorships=
Corporate partners have played a key role in fundraising. Asda, McDonald's, One Stop, Greggs, Enterprise, and Cineworld are among the charity's longstanding sponsors. Welcome Break—whose service stations host outlets such as WHSmith, Waitrose, Subway, Burger King, Pret a Manger, Starbucks and Harry Ramsden's—has also supported the cause.{{Cite web |title=Cineworld UK kickstarts February with a brand new digital and customer-facing fundraising campaign to support Variety |url=https://www.variety.org.uk/news-item/cineworld-uk-kick-starts-february-with-a-brand-new-digital-and-customer-facing-fundraising-campaign-to-support-variety/ |access-date=2024-11-18 |website=Variety, the Children's Charity |language=en-GB}} The 2025 Sidemen Charity Match, scheduled for Wembley Stadium, will raise funds for Children in Need.
Sir Terry Wogan Fundraiser of the Year Award
The Sir Terry Wogan Fundraiser of the Year has been awarded annually since 2016 to individuals demonstrating exceptional commitment to raising funds for BBC Children in Need. Established by Wogan's family in memory of the late Sir Terry Wogan—the charity's long-standing host—the award was first presented by his son, Mark, during the 2016 telethon. Subsequent ceremonies have featured notable presenters, including Joanna Lumley (2017) and Michael Ball (2021).
| class="wikitable" | |
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Lauchlan Muir |
| 2017 | Ellie and Abbie Holloway |
| 2018 | Keeley Browse |
| 2019 | Austin and Esther Atkins |
| 2020 | Brian Pitt |
| 2021 | Amy Wright |
| 2022 | Aileen Kane |
Telethon
= Acts =
The telethon features performances by prominent singers, musical groups, and celebrities, often participating in sketches or musical numbers during the {{frac|6|1|2}}-hour-long programme. Notable appearances include actors from ITV programmes—sometimes in character or from their show's sets—as well as BBC newsreaders, whose performances became an annual tradition. Stars of West End musicals frequently perform excerpts from their productions after their theatre curtain calls.
= Broadcast =
{{unreferenced section|date=November 2022}}
File:BBC Television Centre.jpg on the night of the 2008 telethon]]
BBC One dedicates its entire evening schedule to the telethon, pausing only for a 35-minute break at 10:00 pm to air BBC News at Ten, weather updates, and regional news. Simultaneously, BBC Two broadcasts complementary programming, such as Mastermind Children in Need, which is a form of Celebrity Mastermind. Pre-telethon specials include DIY SOS: The Big Build, Bargain Hunt, and The One Show, featuring challenges like the hosts' rickshaw ride and a celebrity edition of Pointless hosted by Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, assisted by Pudsey Bear.{{Cite web|date=14 November 2024|title=How to donate to Children in Need - everything you need to know|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/national/uk-today/24723420.donate-bbc-children-need---need-know/|access-date=18 November 2024|website=The Herald|language=en}}
Regional contributions play a significant role: BBC England's regions provide hourly {{nowrap|5–8-minute}} updates, while BBC Scotland, BBC Cymru Wales, and BBC Northern Ireland historically aired extended local segments before rejoining the network broadcast around 1:00 am. From 2010, however, these nations adopted the English regions' hourly update format.
= ''Children in Need'' Choir =
Since 2011, a central feature of the telethon has been a live choir performance involving over 1,000 children across 8–10 UK locations, singing in unison.
{{main|Children in Need Choir}}
= Annual telethon overview =
{{Reflist|group=lower-alpha|refs=
{{efn|name=overview1|Outside broadcast presenter.}}
}}
= ''Children in Need'' Rocks =
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;" |
| scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Date ! scope="col" | Broadcast date ! scope="col" | Location ! scope="col" | Organised by ! scope="col" | Presenters ! scope="col" | BBC One rating (millions) |
|---|
| scope="row" | 2009
| 12 November 2009 | 19 November 2009 | rowspan="3"| Gary Barlow | Chris Moyles | 6.50 |
| scope="row" | 2011
| colspan=2|17 November 2011 | Chris Moyles | 4.50 |
| scope="row" | 2013
| 12–13 November 2013 | 14 November 2013 | 4.41 |
| scope="row" | 2015
| 8 October 2015 | 12 November 2015 | Sir Tom Jones | rowspan="4"|TBC |
| scope="row" | 2016
| 1 November 2016 | 14 November 2016 | Royal Albert Hall | rowspan=3|BBC Studios |
| scope="row" | 2017
| 19 October 2017 | 13 November 2017 | rowspan="2"| The SSE Arena, Wembley | Fearne Cotton |
| scope="row" | 2018
| 7 November 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/46stXrBnqhcR1BzbTvpZGNq/bbc-children-in-need-rocks-2018|title=BBC Children in Need Rocks 2018|publisher=BBC|access-date=3 October 2018|archive-date=13 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013082735/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/46stXrBnqhcR1BzbTvpZGNq/bbc-children-in-need-rocks-2018|url-status=dead}} | 15 November 2018 |
Pudsey Bear
{{more citations needed|section|date=September 2020}}
File:Children in need 1980 logo.jpg
The mascot fronting the Children in Need appeal is called Pudsey Bear. He was created and named in 1985 by BBC graphic designer Joanna Lane, who worked in the BBC's design department. Asked to revamp the logo, with a brief to improve the charity's image, Lane said "It was like a lightbulb moment for me. We were bouncing ideas off each other and I latched on to this idea of a teddy bear. I immediately realised there was a huge potential for a mascot beyond the 2D logo".{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-30024318|title=Children in Need: Pudsey Bear's path from mascot to national treasure |last=Potts|first=Lauren |date=14 November 2014 |newspaper=BBC News | access-date=14 November 2014 }} The bear was named after her hometown of Pudsey, West Yorkshire, where her grandfather was mayor.
A reproduction of the bear mascot (made of vegetation) is in Pudsey park, near the town centre.{{Cite web |last=westleedslife |date=2021-04-21 |title=Pudsey Bear's blooming welcome return to Pudsey Park |url=https://westleedsdispatch.com/pudsey-bears-welcome-return-to-pudsey-park/ |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=West Leeds Dispatch |language=en-GB}} Originally introduced for the 1985 appeal, Pudsey Bear was created as a triangular shaped logo, depicting a yellow-orange teddy bear with a red bandana tied over one eye. The bandana had a pattern of small black triangles. The mouth of the bear depicted a sad expression. The lettering "BBC" appeared as 3 circular black buttons running vertically down the front of the bear, one capital letter on each, in white. Perpendicular to the buttons, the words "children-in-need" appeared in all lower case letters along the base of the triangular outline. Accessibility for young readers, and people with disabilities including speech and reading challenges, were factors weighed by the designer Joanna Ball, specifically the "P" sound in "Pudsey" name, and the choice of all lower case sans serif letters for the logotype.
The original design was adapted for various applications for use in the 1985 appeal, both 2D graphics and three-dimensional objects. Items using the original 1985 design included a filmed opening title sequence, using cartoon cell animation, a postage stamp, and a prototype soft toy, commissioned from a film and TV prop maker (citation). The original prototype soft toy was orange and reflected the design of the logo, which was then adapted for approximately 12 identical bears, one for each regional BBC Television Studio. These bears were numbered and tagged with the official logo and auctioned off as part of the appeal. The number 1 Pudsey Bear was allocated to the Leeds region. Joanna Lumley appeared with one of the soft toys during the opening of Blackpool Illuminations and named Pudsey Bear the official mascot of the BBC Children in Need appeal.
In 1986, the logo was redesigned. Whilst retaining the concept of a teddy bear with a bandana over one eye, all other elements were changed. Specifically, the triangular elements of the underlying design were abandoned, and the corporate identity colour scheme was changed. The new bandana design was white with red spots, one of the buttons was removed and the logotype now appeared as building blocks, which spelled out "BBC CHILDREN IN NEED" in capital letters. Pudsey now had a smiling expression on his face rather than a sad one in the previous logo.
In 2007, Pudsey and the logo were redesigned again. This time, Pudsey's bandana had multicoloured spots, and all of the buttons were removed. By 2009, Pudsey had been joined by another bear, a brown female bear named "Blush". She had a spotty bow with the pattern similar to Pudsey's bandana pattern. In 2013, Moshi Monsters introduced Pudsey as an in-game item for 100 Rox.
The Children in Need 2015 campaign on 13 November 2015 marked the thirtieth birthday of Pudsey Bear, who has been the charity's mascot since 1985.
In 2022, as part of the corporate BBC rebrand, the logo was completely redesigned. The phrase "CHILDREN IN NEED" in capital letters appeared in a modified rounded version of BBC Reith Sans Bold, and Pudsey Bear was removed as part of the logo. Despite this, Pudsey Bear remained in use as a mascot and was also given a redesign which involved making the multicoloured spots on his bandana larger and adding multicoloured spots onto the soles of his now white feet.{{Cite web |title=Everything you wanted to know about Pudsey |url=https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/fundraising/pudseyspage/ |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=BBC Children in Need |language=en-US}}
Official singles
Notes:
:{{note|1|1}} The Collective includes Gary Barlow, Tulisa Contostavlos, Wretch 32, Ed Sheeran, Ms. Dynamite, Chipmunk, Mz Bratt, Dot Rotten, Labrinth, Rizzle Kicks and Tinchy Stryder.
:{{note|2|2}} The All Star Choir includes Linda Robson, Jo Brand, Mel Giedroyc, Larry Lamb, Craig Revel Horwood, Alison Steadman, Alice Levine, John Craven, Fabrice Muamba, Margaret Alphonsi, Radzi Chinyanganya and Nitin Ganatra
:{{note|3|3}} BBC Radio 2's Allstars consists of Bryan Adams, Izzy Bizu, Cher, Clean Bandit, Melanie C, Jamie Cullum, Ella Eyre, Paloma Faith, Rebecca Ferguson, Jess Glynne, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Lenny Kravitz, KSI, Lauv, Ava Max, Kylie Minogue, James Morrison, Gregory Porter, Nile Rodgers, Jack Savoretti, Jay Sean, Anoushka Shankar, Robbie Williams and Yola
Criticism
{{criticism section|date=November 2022}}
In November 2006, Intelligent Giving published an article about Children in Need, which attracted wide attention across the British media. The article, titled "Four Things Wrong with Pudsey", described donations to Children in Need as a "lazy and inefficient way of giving" and pointed out that, as a grant-giving charity, Children in Need would use donations to pay two sets of administration costs. It also described the quality of some of its public reporting as "shambolic".{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2006/nov/29/voluntarysector.guardiansocietysupplement | work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Pudsey's worst nightmare | first=Annie | last=Kelly | date=28 November 2006| access-date=28 April 2010}}
In 2007, it was reported that presenter Terry Wogan had been receiving an annual honorarium since 1980 (amounting to £9,065 in 2005). This made him the only celebrity paid for his participation in Children in Need. According to Wogan's account, he would "quite happily do it for nothing" and had "never asked for a fee". The BBC stated that the amount, which was paid from BBC resources rather than from the Children in Need charity fund, had "never been negotiated", having instead increased in line with inflation.{{cite news |title=Wogan charity fee defended by BBC |work=BBC |date=4 March 2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6417329.stm |access-date= 2 June 2007 }} Two days before the 2007 event, Wogan waived his fee.{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/terry-wogan-waives-his-9000-fee-for-children-in-need-6648423.html|title=Terry Wogan waives his £9,000 fee for Children in Need|date=15 November 2007|website=Evening Standard}}
There has been concern about the type of groups receiving funding from Children in Need. Writing in The Spectator, Ross Clark noted that funding goes towards controversial groups such as Women in Prison, which campaigns against jailing female criminals. Another charity highlighted was the Children's Legal Centre, which provided funding for Shabina Begum to sue her school as she wanted to wear the jilbāb. Clark pondered whether donors seeing cancer victims on screen would appreciate "that a slice of their donation would be going into the pockets of Cherie Blair to help a teenage girl sue her school over her refusal to wear a school uniform".{{cite news |url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/24th-march-2007/16/read-the-small-print-before-the-next-comic-relief |title=Read the small print before the next Comic Relief |last=Clark |first=Ross |date=24 March 2007 |work=The Spectator |pages=16 |access-date=17 December 2013}}
A former BBC governor said that Jimmy Savile was kept away from Children in Need. Sir Roger Jones who was also chairman of the charity said he had suspicions about Savile a decade before the news of Savile's sexual abuse scandal came to public light in 2012. His comments came on the day an inquiry began into whether the BBC's child protection and whistle-blowing policies were acceptable.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-20131031/savile-inquiry-begins-as-children-in-need-ban-is-revealed|title=Savile inquiry begins as Children In Need ban is revealed|date=29 October 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=27 March 2019}}
During November 2024, Rosie Millard stepped down as Chair of BBC Children in Need after protesting over grants awarded to an LGBT youth charity whose former chief had been involved in a child abuse scandal.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp35652x26yo|title=Children in Need chair resigns over grants to scandal-hit LGBT charity|date=21 November 2024|work=BBC News}}
See also
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category|BBC Children in Need}}
- {{BBC programme}}
- {{IMDb title|id=0126739|title=Children in Need}}
{{Children in Need}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1980s British television series
Category:1990s British television series
Category:2000s British television series
Category:2010s British television series
Category:2020s British television series
Category:1980 in British television
Category:1980 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Annual events in the United Kingdom
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Organisations based in Salford
Category:Television series by BBC Studios
Category:Television shows shot at BBC Elstree Centre
Category:BBC One original programming