MORE than £17m to help change the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in the UK was donated to the BBC Children in Need appeal by 10pm last night (Friday).

After Radio 2 held a marathon charity jukebox that lasted into the early evening, the baton was handed over to The One Show.

Sir Terry Wogan and Tess Daly then took the helm at BBC Elstree for the start of the Charity’s 2014 Appeal Night Show.

The pair introduced a star-studded line-up of famous faces who took to the stage to encourage people to add to the coffers.

Highlights included a performance from One Direction singing their current single Steal My Girl live from the Albert Square bridge, the cast of EastEnders being transformed into Grease-Enders for a very special musical treat,1,685 school children from The Children’s Choir coming together from across the UK for a stunning performance of I’ll Stand By You, Sir Bruce Forsyth returning for a Strictly Come Dancing special which saw young talented ballroom champions taking to the Strictly dance floor in teams alongside professional dancers and a spectacular medley of songs performed by West End hit musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The night also featured a world exclusive of Geordie pop star Cheryl performing Only Human.

The One Show’s Team Rickshaw also arrived into the studio having completed their week long challenge, announcing a total of £2.3m raised through the 2013 Rickshaw Challenge.

The real stars of the night, however, were the children and young people who featured in the Appeal films and shared their stories with the nation about how with the support of the BBC Children in Need funded projects.

Donations can be made by calling 03457 33 22 33 or visiting bbc.co.uk/pudsey.