Children in Need 2018: 8 highlights, from the EastEnders take on Disney to Jodie Whittaker surprising a Doctor Who fan

The 2018 TV special surpassed last year's record of £50,168,562, with stars from EastEnders, Doctor Who, and Call the Midwife lending a hand

Do Your Thing for BBC Children in Need

Children in Need returned to televisions in 2018 for another night of treats and surprises – especially for fans of Strictly Come Dancing, Doctor Who, and Call the Midwife – while raising money for a very worthy cause.

Here are the eight highlights from this year's TV charity fundraiser, alongside a reminder that it's not too late to make a donation. You can find out details here.

A record-breaking total

This year's final total at the end of the show racked up to an incredible £50,595,053, surpassing last year's total of £50,168,562 to become the largest amount ever raised by the TV special.

The cast of EasteEders take on Disney

As part of the soap's usual contribution to the show, the cast of Eastenders this year teamed up with none other than Mickey Mouse, who's celebrating his 90th birthday this month.

Their musical spectacular took on some of the most beloved classics from the Disney songbook: "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast, "Let it Go" from Frozen, "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast, "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, and "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin.

There was no solo from Danny Dyer, sadly. It would have been great if he had a crack at "Circle of Life".

Boyzone compete in Strictly Come Dancing

Keith Duffy competes in the Children in Need Strictly Come Dancing Special 2018 (BBC/Guy Levy)

Boyzone's Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch all strutted their stuff on the dance floor in the hopes of winning the Pudsey Glitter Trophy, as part of a very special edition of Strictly Come Dancing.

Although all four members of the Irish boy band impressed the judges, it was Shane Lynch who walked away victorious.

Doctor Who's Jodie Whittaker surprises one very special fan

Anna, who suffers from cystic fibrosis, was whisked away to the set of her favourite show, Doctor Who, courtesy of the new Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. She got her own Time Lord makeover before getting to meet the cast.

She even had a heart-to-heart with Whittaker about the importance of having a female Doctor to look up to. "I think it's good to show the boys that we can do just as much as they can," Anna said.

Viewers were also treated to an exclusive preview of this Sunday's new episode.

A first look at the Call the Midwife Christmas special is revealed

Doctor Who wasn't the only look ahead that audiences were granted, with an exclusive clip also being shown for the Call the Midwife Christmas special, set to air on Christmas Day on BBC One.

Eddie Redmayne and Zoë Kravitz pull a prank on The One Show

The stars of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald tricked presenter Alex Jones during their One Show interview. The pair secretly had a trio of children feed them all the answers, with some quirky results, including Redmayne challenging Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, to an arm wrestling match.

Jamie Cullum performs the Children in Need single

The night was awash with musical performances, with Jamie Cullum responsible for this year's official Children in Need single, titled "Love is in the Picture".

Other musical guests included Anne Marie, Sheridan Smith, Boyzone, Liam Payne, and a choir of 1,466 children – the last on that list performing the song "A Million Dreams" from the film The Greatest Showman.

They were a reminder of what Children in Need is all about: changing the lives of children all across the country for the better, and giving them childhoods as free from fear and isolation as possible.

Amongst the many families profiled over the course of the night were Archie and Stanley. At two weeks old, Stanley became seriously ill. At eight years old, Archie was diagnosed with leukaemia. Their family has had to struggle with the daily reality of two severely ill children. Also highlighted was Sam, who is autistic with severe sensory issues, but whose life has been transformed by his therapy dog Willow.

You can catch up with all the excitement as it happened below. Please allow a moment for the blog to load.

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[16 November 2018 11:08 · clarisse.loughrey]

Welcome to our coverage of Children in Need 2018! Here's everything you need to know about tonight's TV special

[16 November 2018 12:00 · clarisse.loughrey]

Yesterday, BBC One aired Children in Need Rocks, featuring performances from Rod Stewart and Rita Ora. 

[16 November 2018 13:00 · clarisse.loughrey]

One of tonight's sketches is a special musical edition of Eastenders, with the cast coming together to perform several Disney hits from the likes of Frozen, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast.  

[16 November 2018 15:16 · clarisse.loughrey]

Pudsey has been busy spreading joy across the UK  

[16 November 2018 16:14 · clarisse.loughrey]

Here's what to expect from tonight's show:

• A young fan supported by the charity gets the chance to visit the set of Doctor Who for a surprise encounter with Jodie Whittaker.
• Matt Baker and six intrepid youngsters will complete their gruelling eight-day “Rickshaw Challenge” ride from Calais when they cross the finish line in Salford.
• The cast of EastEnders will lay on a musical number in Albert Square, the stars of West End hits School of Rock and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will perform live and the Children’s Choir will sing “A Million Dreams” from the popular movie The Greatest Showman.

[16 November 2018 17:14 · clarisse.loughrey]

[16 November 2018 19:07 · clarisse.loughrey]

A preview of the Strictly Come Dancing segment, starring members from Boyzone 

[16 November 2018 19:31 · clarisse.loughrey]

Welcome to Children in Need 2018! Featuring Doctor Who, Strictly Come Dancing, Eastenders, Junior Mastermind, and the One Show Rickshaw Challenge.

[16 November 2018 19:32 · clarisse.loughrey]

The show has opened with the cast of the West End's School of Rock, performing a medley of songs including "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen, "Happy" by Pharrell, and "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift.

[16 November 2018 19:38 · clarisse.loughrey]

Tess Daly and Ade Adepitan are hosting the first section of the show, introducing a look back at Children in Need's 39-year history.