In pictures: Children in Need 2009

Alesha Dixon, Sir Terry Wogan and Tess Daly

Sir Terry Wogan has presented the Children in Need TV show every year since 1980. On Friday night, hosting duties were shared with Strictly Come Dancing pair Tess Daly and Alesha Dixon.

Children in Need: Alesha Dixon performs with Strictly dancers

Dixon kicked off proceedings by performing her hit The Boy Does Nothing, ably assisted by some of the dancers she has been judging this year on Strictly Come Dancing.

Children in Need: John Barrowman performs

Another TV judge, John Barrowman, stripped to his Pudsey Bear-inspired boxer shorts for his performance. The I'd Do Anything star said he would auction the boxer shorts for the charity.

Sir Terry Wogan, Tess Daly and Peter Kay

Peter Kay unveiled the video for this year’s Children in Need single – a medley featuring cartoon characters past and present recorded under the name The Animated All Star Band.

JLS sang number one single Everybody in Love while singer Aston Merrygold, egged on by Daly, performed a back flip to secure a donation from a fan of the boy band.

David Tennant in Doctor Who Christmas special

Viewers of the show were also treated to a preview of the Doctor Who Christmas special, starring outgoing Time Lord David Tennant.

BBC newsreaders performed Beyonce hits Crazy In Love and Single Ladies before they took on dance troupe Diversity – winners of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent – in a dance-off.

Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson took to the stage to perform impressions of hosts Sir Terry and Daly. The two appear on BBC One’s The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson.

David Gray and Annie Lennox performed duet Full Steam, which will be released next week. Lennox was among singers who played at last week’s Children in Need Rocks the Royal Albert Hall concert.

The final tally on the night fell short of the amount donated at the end of last year’s live show. Sir Terry said he felt confident the total would eventually match last year’s final figure of £38m.