When is Children in Need 2021? Performers, hosts and schedule

Basil Brush will join other famous puppet characters including Mr Blobby, Muffin the Mule, Rainbow’s Zippy, George and Bungle, Hacker T Dog, Zig and Zag and Channel 5’s Milkshake Monkey as the puppet world comes together for one of the biggest singalongs Children in Need has even witnessed.

Terrahawks’ Zelda, The Neighbour’s Cat from Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow, Mongrels’ Marion and Nelson and Buffering’s Larry the Lizard will also feature in the charity music video.

Basil Brush said: “It was fantastic to be reunited with so many old friends. And incredibly none of us have aged a day, we all look exactly the same! Boom Boom!”

But that’s not all. In the lead-up to the big night itself, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has raised more than £1m for BBC Children in Need 2021 after completing a 24-hour danceathon, while BBC North West Tonight’s weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans’ mammoth 24-hour drumathon raked in over £3m for the cause.

The money raised through BBC Children in Need’s 2021 Appeal will help support local charities and projects which are providing essential frontline help to children and young people in communities throughout the UK.

Read on to find out more about Children in Need 2021, including when and how to watch, who will be performing and presenting, and all the latest news.

When time is Children in Need 2021 on TV?

Children in Need airs on BBC One on Friday 19th November.

The event will start from 7pm and is expected to end at 10pm.

For the first time ever, the event will be live from Media City UK in Salford.

Who is presenting Children in Need 2021?

This year's live show will be hosted by comedian Graham Norton, TV presenter Ade Adepitan and actress Melanie Giedroyc.

Former Arsenal footballer Alex Scott and stand-up Chris Ramsey will also share the task of presenting Children in Need 2021.

Which celebrities are taking part?

The celebrity line-up includes BBC Sport presenter Mike Bushell, newsreader Kate Silverton and broadcaster and Radio 2 presenter Jason Mohammad featuring in a special episode of I Can See Your Voice.

As well as this, we can expect to see the Repair Shop cast, including presenter Jay Blades, plus Danny Dyer and more. You can see a full schedule further down.

Children in Need 2021 performances

There will be musical performances on the night from Ed Sheeran, and fellow chart-topping artist Tom Grennan.

The cast of the UK tour of 9 to 5 The Musical will take to the stage for a performance and for the first time ever, a talented singer who has benefitted from support from BBC Children in Need-funded projects will give an emotional solo to the millions watching from home on the night.

Children in Need 2021 schedule

More exciting performances and special guests will be announced soon, with some surprises also expected on the night. Here is a list of highlights on the night and afterwards so far:

I Can See Your Voice

Paddy McGuinness hosts and is joined by Celebrity Investigators Jimmy Carr, Alison Hammond and Amanda Holden, who are helped by Pudsey himself. Stepping up to the mic are three celebrity mystery singers; BBC Sport presenter Mike Bushell, newsreader Kate Silverton and broadcaster and Radio 2 presenter Jason Mohammad.

The Wall

Danny Dyer presents a special edition of the popular BBC One gameshow especially for BBC Children in Need. CBBC TV presenters Sam and Mark will face tricky questions in a round of Free Fall, taking on The Wall in an attempt to win money for children and young people in need across the UK.

Team GB and Paralympics GB School Sports Day

Watch some of the nation’s sporting heroes go head to head in a very competitive school sports day.

The Repair Shop

Jay Blades and bear repair duo Amanda Middleditch and Julie Tatchell carry out a unique restoration. Thirteen-year-old Billy and his mum Mandy, whose family have been supported by a BBC Children in Need-funded project, bring a very special bear called Henry to the Repair Shop barn, in the hope that the ladies can work their magic on him.

The Graham Norton Show - Red Chair special

Celebrities take on the infamous red chair from The Graham Norton Show but in a special BBC Children in Need twist, their fate is decided by a group of children who preside over the notorious lever!

Angels of the North

Star of BBC Three’s Angels of the North Sammyjo and her team of Longlox girls welcome two very special guests (who have benefitted from support from BBC Children in Need-funded projects) for a well-deserved pampering session at the infamous Gateshead super salon. Some extra ‘help’ and sparkle is delivered by a very enthusiastic celebrity trainee junior for the day, Celebs Go Dating’s Tom Read Wilson, who gets involved with the salon banter.

Appeal films

During the show, films of children from around the UK will be shown to highlight the important work of BBC Children in Need. BBC Children in Need 2021: Best Bits will then air on Sunday 21st November at 2:50pm on BBC One and on BBC iPlayer.

Puppet music video

Watch the nation’s best loved puppets and children’s TV favourites come together for a charity music video. Mr Blobby teased what to expect ahead of the music video parody, helpfully revealing: “Blobby, Blobby, Blobby!”

What is the One Show’s Surprise Squad challenge for Children in Need?

The Surprise Squad is made up of five young people who have benefited from Children in Need and want to give something back to the charity.

They have been visiting locations around the UK to complete surprise challenges for BBC Children in Need funded projects.

The One Show viewers were introduced to Dylan, a member of The Surprise Squad who has a rare condition called MDP Syndrome, this week as he performed a brilliant dance on the show to Robbie William’s 2016 track, You Are Beautiful.

Describing the Surprise Squad, the BBC explained: "The Surprise Squad will head to locations around the country where they will complete surprise challenges for BBC Children in Need funded projects that are in need of a little help with something – from creating a secret garden for a children’s hospice, to organising a much needed community fundraising event."

How has Radio 2 partnered with BBC's Children in Need?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor danced for an entire 24 hours in an epic Kitchen Disco Danceathon – and raised more than £1m for Children in Need this year.

The dance challenge kicked off at 9.25am on Tuesday 16th November, and came to a close the following day at 9.25am on Wednesday 17th November.

Along the way, she sang karaoke with Tony Blackburn, boogied to the Radio 2 travel news and changed into various glittery outfits, before appropriately finishing with the ABBA classic, Dancing Queen.

There were regular updates on Radio 2 throughout the challenge and viewers were able to watch it live on the Red Button and BBC iPlayer across the 24 hours.

Speaking live to Zoe Ball on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show as the dancing came to an end, a tearful Ellis-Bextor said: “What a team, thank you so much. I’ve been so well-supported.”

“This has been extraordinary. I always thought this would be a privilege to have done and I’ve never done anything like this so I want to thank everybody for giving me the opportunity and I’ve been weeping solidly for the last hour. This has been really special and thank you to everybody who donated and everybody who gave me energy and support and messages, it’s got me through.”

Zoe said: “Sophie honestly, thank you so much to all the team from Children in Need and the BBC who’ve supported Sophie. Thank you Professor Greg White as well, thank you to your Richard... he’s been so, I mean gosh, what an amazing marriage you have, you’re amazing, your kids – she’s got to be a mum again now!”

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “All of us at Radio 2 would like to say the hugest thank you to Sophie Ellis-Bextor for agreeing to undertake and now completing an incredible 24 hours Kitchen Disco Danceathon, raising a total so far of £803,384 for BBC Children In Need. Thank you to all the wonderful Radio 2 listeners who have donated and all those who joined at any point in the Danceathon to support and motivate Sophie along the way. We are all in awe of her accomplishment!”

The 24-hour dance challenge is part of an ongoing partnership between Radio 2 and Children in Need.

Sophie is following in the footsteps of the nation’s favourite virtual PE teacher Joe Wicks, who raised £2.5 million for BBC Children in Need last year through his 24-hour PE Challenge.

What was Owain Wyn Evan’s Drumathon for Children in Need 2021?

The Danceathon isn’t the only 24-hour challenge that has been undertaken this year, with BBC North West Tonight’s weather presenter Owain Wyn Evans having completed a 24-hour drumming challenge.

Evans raised more than £3 million for BBC Children in Need, making it the charity’s most successful 24-hour challenge ever.

Evan’s challenge kicked off at 8.35am on 12th November, and started and finished on BBC One Breakfast. Viewers were also be able to tune into the Drumathon for 24 hours on BBC iPlayer.

Owain, who went viral in lockdown thanks to a video of him drumming to the BBC News theme, revealed he had embarked on a six-week strength programme ahead of the mammoth challenge.

He told The Mirror: “We’ve been using dumbbells because, to go with my dainty arms, I also have dainty wrists.”

Talking about how nervous he felt ahead of the event, he told Express.co.uk: “I’ve got to be honest with you, I have been waking up in the middle of the night and thinking ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m doing a 24-hour drumathon!’

“But, I have anxiety and I do that anyway, to be honest. I do sort of wake up in the middle of the night and think about random things sometimes.

“Yeah, there have been a few midnight kind of, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m doing this now’."

How has BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing partnered with Children in Need?

Strictly Come Dancing stars Dianne Buswell and Karen Hauer, and previous contestant and former Girlguiding member Saffron Barker, have teamed up with Girlguiding groups as part of a fundraising effort for Children in Need 2021.

The stars of the BBC show recently dropped in on more than 40 Rainbows, Brownies and Guides from the Brentford District in West London, joining in with the girls’ Strictly-inspired fundraising efforts by helping judge their glitter-ball biscuit decorating and teaching them some dance-floor moves.

Alongside fundraising ideas inspired by BBC shows Countryfile and The One Show, BBC Children in Need is encouraging Girlguide members to add a Strictly Come Dancing twist to their activities and turn it into a fundraiser.

“I had such a great time with the girls today and I was so impressed with how creatively the unit had added a ‘Strictly’ twist to their fundraiser!” BBC Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Buswell said.

“I was able to join in with some ace glitterball biscuit decorating and some brilliant dance moves for their danceathon – it is a ten from me, for sure! I am delighted to be able to support charities, like BBC Children in Need and Girlguiding, that are making such a difference to young lives.”

Strictly professional dancer Hauer added: “Wow – what a fantastic group of girls! It was so much fun to be able to celebrate and join in with the ‘Strictly’ inspired fundraising activities. It was a joy to see the Rainbows, Brownies and Guides giving 110% effort to raise money to benefit other children and young people across the country.”

Barker, a previous Strictly Come Dancing contestant and former Brownie, added: “As a former Brownie myself, it was wonderful to be able to visit a unit again and join in with their fundraising efforts ahead of the BBC Children in Need Appeal.

“I love how this year the girls are adding a ‘Strictly’ twist to their fundraising and it was so fun being reunited with Dianne and Karen to help them celebrate. I know first-hand how important Girlguiding units are and what a positive impact they can have and so it is a pleasure to be able to support Girlguiding and BBC Children in Need.”

BBC Children in Need will air on Friday 19th November. If you're looking for something to watch in the meantime, check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.