The on-the-night total for this year’s BBC Children in Need fundraising event fell to its lowest level since 2014, figures show.
This year’s show, which was broadcast on Friday, raised £33.5m by the end of the evening, almost £2m down on the total at the same time last year.
The highest on-the-night total was £50.6m in 2018.
This year’s figure includes £2.8m raised by the “challenge squad” – the presenters Jermaine Jenas, Alex Jones, Roman Kemp and Vernon Kay, who undertook personal fitness challenges.
All money raised by the team was matched pound for pound up to the value of £1.5m by the Postcode Education Trust, supported through the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Kay completed a challenge that involved running 116 miles over four days from Leicester to his hometown of Bolton.
The evening television show featured an exclusive look at the upcoming Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials, featuring David Tennant returning in the main role and coming into contact with a mysterious new character.
The Sir Terry Wogan Young Fundraiser of the Year Award was presented to 13-year-old Joel from Hertfordshire, who cycled almost 400 miles from England to the Netherlands for Children in Need.
Other highlights of the evening included a performance by children and young people with the BBC Children in Need choir singing a cover of You Raise Me Up, a Graham Norton Red Chair special, which involved various celebrities having their fate decided by a group of children, and a performance from Stock Aitken Waterman’s I Should Be So Lucky musical, with cameos from the presenter Mel Giedroyc and the comedian and singer Jason Manford.
Simon Antrobus, chief executive of BBC Children in Need, said: “The overwhelming kindness and generosity shown this evening – especially when things are incredibly hard for so many – is remarkable.
“I want to thank the UK for once again showing children and young people that we are here for them. To each and every person that gave so generously this evening, thank you.”