Friday night’s televised Children in Need appeal, the first since the death of host Sir Terry Wogan, raised £46.6m on the night, beating last year’s total of £37.1m.
Sir Terry, who died in January, hosted the show for 35 years until poor health forced him to pull out of the 2015 show. A montage of the presenter’s best moments was shown on the night.
A fundraiser of the year trophy was awarded in Sir Terry’s memory for the first time. The Sir Terry Wogan Fundraiser of the Year Award 2016 was won by Lauchlan Muir, from West Lothian, a boy who raises funds by being a "human statue".
The appeal show featured special editions of Strictly Come Dancing with Team GB Olympic squad members. There were also appearances from Ricky Gervais in his David Brent character and a sketch where Eddie Redmayne’s character from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them met Sue and Mell from the Great British Bake Off.
Money is still being sent into the charity and a final fundraising total will be announced next summer. The final total for 2015 was a record breaking £55m.
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