Alex Scott and Chris Ramsey present highlights of the annual night of fundraising for Children in Need projects across the UK.

As the show celebrates its 40th birthday, expect music performances, inspiring stories, comedy sketches and entertainment from some of the BBC's biggest shows, including a Strictly special and the return of the Children in Need choir, and some of the UK's biggest stars reveal the truth about the nation's favourite bear in Pudsey Bear: Behind the Bandana.

BBC Children in Need celebrates its 40th anniversary with a very special evening of live television. Hosted by Mel Giedroyc, Stephen Mangan, Alex Scott and Chris Ramsey, the show includes appearances by this year's Strictly dancers, Beverley Knight, Shawn Mendes and the cast of West End musical Six. There are comedy sketches from the casts of King Gary and The Goes Wrong Show, and we get to know the nation's favourite bear like never before in a star-studded sketch, Pudsey Bear: Behind the Bandana. The Repair Shop team give one very special girl a surprise to treasure forever, and Alex Jones and Ade Adepitan bring us the finale of The One Show's rickshaw challenge. And some special films reveal the incredible and inspiring stories of the brave children who are supported by some of the thousands of Children in Need projects around the UK.

A powerful, uplifting film showing how resilient children can be as they experience a variety of challenges whilst coping with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Presenter Ade Adepitan MBE is our guide on this funny, poignant, revealing and surprising numerical tour across four fabulous decades of Children In Need.