BBC Children in Need Great SPOTacular Scheduled in Northern Ireland

The annual BBC Children in Need telethon, this year titled Great SPOTacular, has been slated for November 18 on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer.

The show will be broadcast live from London, presented by Ade Adepitan MBE, Mel Giedroyc, Chris Ramsey and Alex Scott MBE, who will be joined by comedian Jason Manford for the first time. Connor Phillips and Holly Hamilton will bring an update from Northern Ireland on the night and present an hour-long special on BBC One Northern Ireland on November 20.

Prior to that, on November 14, BBC Radio Ulster’s Lynette Fay will broadcast live from Bardic Educational Arts and Media, where money donated to BBC Children in Need supports young disabled people and peer buddies to build confidence and new friendships through performing arts. She will meet walkers and children and parents benefiting from the money raised in Northern Ireland.

Fay and BBC Radio Foyle’s Marie-Louise Muir will continue with their own Walk and Talk fundraising challenges to complete 100 miles and 50 miles, respectively, before the big night, while other shows and presenters will be talking to fundraisers and organization benefiting directly from the support of BBC Children in Need.

On the day of the telethon broadcast, November 18, Hugo Duncan and the radio team will travel to the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn for an outside broadcast packed with live music and requests from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Foyle will chat all things Pudsey throughout the day.

On November 20, Hamilton and Phillip’s will host their one-hour special Children in Need Best Bits on BBC One Northern Ireland and BBC iPlayer at 11 a.m. They will be joined by Pudsey, Duncan and Brooke Scullion, who hit the road to find out more about the fundraisers that help organizations make a difference in the community. Among those organizations are Gortilea Social Farm in near Claudy, as well as staff and participants of IncredABLE. BBC Radio 1’s Dean McCullogh will travel to Suffolk Community Centre in Belfast to juggle and stilt-walk with Circusful.

Last year’s national on the night total was £39,389,048, and the overall fundraising total for the 2021 appeal was £51 million. In Northern Ireland, the appeal has issued 152 grants to projects to a value of more than £8.5 million.

“I absolutely love BBC Children in Need and am so thrilled to be part of it again this year alongside Connor,” Hamilton said. “Please, please do what you can to help us raise lots of money for this year’s Great SPOTacular-themed appeal, as your donations really do make a huge difference to the lives of many children and young people right here in Northern Ireland.”

Phillips added, “It’s always great to be working with Holly, and I am looking forward to meeting some of the many people who have been busy fundraising, helping to raise loads of money for this year’s BBC Children in Need. Let’s make it the best one yet.”