Children In Need total tops £1m in Wales

Advertisement

Watch highlights of the Strictly Come Dancing-style competition among BBC Wales presenters. Image: Mike Fudge

The BBC Children in Need appeal in Wales passed the £1m mark for a second year running after a day's fundraising.

The total reached £1,135,474 at the end of Friday night, but organisers said this would not be the final figure.

A host of stars, including Bryn Terfel and Stereophonics took to the stage at the Wales Millennium Centre.

Meanwhile, a Strictly Come Dancing-style competition among BBC Wales presenters was won by husband-and-wife team Lucy and Rhodri Owen.

Singer Cerys Matthews and presenter Josie Josie D'Arby were in charge of hosting the BBC Wales contribution to the evening of events from the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay.

Dance

Alongside performances from the likes of Only Men Aloud! and Bonnie Tyler, the concert saw Britain's Got Talent's Shaheen and Faryl Smith and West End and Broadway star John Owen Jones belting out hits.

But one of the highlights of the evening was the dance-off by BBC Wales TV and radio presenters.

Weatherman Derek Brockway teamed up with Claire Summers, Wales Today's Jamie Owen joined with his Radio Wales co-presenter Louise Elliot, while news presenter Lucy Owen danced with husband and X-Ray presenter Rhodri.

"It's been the quickest week-and-a-half of my life," remarked Louise Elliott, as she prepared for the showdown.

'Simon Cowell'

Gavin and Stacey actress and writer Ruth Jones was called on to judge the competition, but after three dances from the presenters, she threw it open to the audience gathered in Cardiff Bay.

"The problem is I really can't chose," she told the teams.

"I'm going to do a bit of a Simon Cowell - we're in deadlock."

The audience clapped and cheered loudest for Lucy and Rhodri, who were named the winners.

Marc Phillips, head of BBC Children In Need in Wales said: "We are extremely grateful to everyone who has supported us the length and breadth of Wales and to our colleagues in BBC Wales who put on a spectacular show at the Wales Millennium Centre.

"The work of distributing this money to projects that need our support has already begun, with scores of grant applications being assessed even as the appeal day events were being arranged."

In 2008, the BBC Children in Need appeal raised over £38m for projects helping disadvantaged children across the UK.