BBC's 'Big Night In' Raises Over $67 Million for Charities Impacted by COVID-19
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Celebrity

Benefiting Children in Need and Comic Relief, the three-hour telethon sees among others 'Doctor Who' stars past and present, including Jodie Whittaker and Peter Capaldi, virtually thank real-life doctors.

AceShowbiz - The BBC’s "Big Night In" telethon was a runaway success, raising a combined total of over $67 million (£54.2 million) over the duration of the three-hour broadcast.

The star-studded show, hosted by Lenny Henry, Zoe Ball, and Paddy McGuinness, featured appearances from some of Britain's TV favourites and raised funds for two of the BBC’s biggest charity partners, Children in Need and Comic Relief.

As the evening's celebrations drew to a close, it was announced that a total of $33,844,327 (£27,398,675) had been raised via public donations - with the U.K. government matching the sum, resulting in a combined total of $67,688,654 (£54,797,350).

Highlights included the return of beloved comedy series "Little Britain USA", featuring Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and Dawn French's "The Vicar of Dibley".

Funnyman Peter Kay also replicated the video of his 2005 Comic Relief hit with singer Tony Christie, "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo", alongside clips of National Health Service staff and members of the public. Meanwhile, "Doctor Who" stars past and present - Jodie Whittaker, Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, David Tennant, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davidson, and Tom Baker - came together virtually to thank real-life doctors.

Tennant also appeared in a sketch opposite comedienne Catherine Tate, who reprised her beloved TV character Lauren. During the sketch, the actor hilariously lip-synced as George Michael after being persuaded to "do a TikTok" to "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", the late singer's duet with Aretha Franklin.

Elsewhere, music stars including Chris Martin, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Ellie Goulding, and Paloma Faith debuted the official video for their charity cover of the Foo Fighters' 2003 track "Times Like These", recorded to raise money for those on fighting the health crisis at hospitals and care centres. Each star filmed their segments from their homes amid the ongoing U.K. lockdown.

Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Jack Whitehall, Romesh Ranganathan, Miranda Hart, and the cast of "People Just Do Nothing" also made appearances on the telethon, which Take That singer Gary Barlow closed with a performance of his 2012 hit Sing. He was joined by famous pals including Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, Leona Lewis, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who co-wrote the track.

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