Scotland's contribution to Children in Need tops £1.6m

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Highlights of the show included contributions from Doctor Who stars

The BBC's annual Children in Need show - featuring a host of stage, screen and music stars - has raised £20.3m with £1.6m coming from Scotland.

Performers from EastEnders, The Bill and the One Show were among those on the seven-hour show.

Peter Kay launched the official single, featuring dozens of children's TV characters, while dance group Diversity spiced up the BBC newsreaders' routine.

The total fell just short of the figure raised at the same point last year.

Sir Terry Wogan and Peter Kay promoted the new charity record

Main presenter, Sir Terry Wogan said: "Another fantastic fundraising effort - we didn't get quite to £21m but we got pretty close.

"By the time we give you the full total in a couple of months' time, I bet it's got to be pretty close to what we made last year."

Last year's event went on to raise a record £38m.

The programme was presented in Scotland by Jackie Bird and Nicky Campbell.

BBC newsreader Kate Silverton acknowledged that she and colleagues Susanna Reid, Sophie Raworth and Fiona Bruce were "out of our comfort zone" when singing and dancing to Beyonce's Crazy In Love and Single Ladies.

They were joined on stage by some of their male colleagues before going head-to-head with Britain's Got Talent winners Diversity for a dance-off.

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This year's Children In Need single - released under the name The Animated All Star Band - was then revealed.

The song's video features Big Chris from TV channel Five's Roary the Racing Car - voiced by comedian Kay - alongside more than 100 characters from shows including The Woodentops, Bagpuss, Thunderbirds, The Wombles, Postman Pat and In The Night Garden.

It features a medley of material from The Jackson 5, The Beatles, Take That, Chumbawamba, Elbow and others.

Motown medley

Sir Terry joined actors in a special edition of period drama Lark Rise to Candleford, while there were musical contributions from the casts of soaps EastEnders and The Bill.

For their segment, the residents of Albert Square took to the street for a medley of Motown hits.

A string of musical acts including Peter Andre, Spandau Ballet, Westlife, JLS, Stereophonics and Annie Lennox performed in the studio.

Alison Moyet was among stars to perform in the show

Other highlights of the show included a preview of the Doctor Who Christmas episode and Hollyoaks actors performing a tribute to Queen.

BT said it had handled 210,242 calls from viewers across the UK during the show.

It follows Thursday's transmission of a Children in Need charity concert, held last week at the Royal Albert Hall in London, that featured performances from Take That, Robbie Williams and Sir Paul McCartney.

Children in Need has raised more than £525m for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK since the first telethon appeal in 1980.

Earlier this month, Sir Terry said he planned to continue presenting the annual event "until hell freezes over".