The Children In Need 2017 charity received almost £7,700,000 after a record-breaking auction of once-in-a-lifetime events, including dinner with Take That, a one-off Peter Kay show and a meeting with Cher.
The packages were sold off through the week on Chris Evans’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show for a grand total of £7,697,361.
The 12 offers – the highest number ever sold by the appeal – included tickets to the Ultimate Christmas Party with Rick Astley, a foodie experience with TV chef Tom Kerridge and a Super Cher VIP Package, giving the two top bidders a chance to meet the singer at her show in Las Vegas.
But the biggest individual sum, of £1,868,526, was generated by 50 top bidders aiming to claim two tickets each to next year’s Dine & Disco event in the New Forest, featuring headline act Take That.
Band member Mark Owen called in to the show to share his excitement for the gig, which will also include a support performance from The Feeling.
Evans’s annual CarFest event, combining classic cars, live music and food, raised £3,112,348, with tickets for additional special package Carry On Camping: At CarFest North & South raising a combined total of £232,045.
Meanwhile, Kay generated an impressive £633,225 by offering up tickets to his intimate one-off stand-up show in Blackpool next summer.
The comedian came on the radio programme himself to promote the 100-seater gig, promising to throw in a fish supper for audience members.
The generous offers helped the station smash its 2016 contribution to the Children In Need Appeal, which reached a final total of £5,813,784.
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