Tonight:
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Children in Need total hits £20.3m
21 Nov 2009- No movement in independence talks
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The BBC Children in Need appeal total has passed the £20 million mark after a galaxy of stars turned out for the television extravaganza.
The £20,309,747 haul at the end of the telethon was just short of the amount raised at the same stage last year.
Featuring performances from Peter Andre, Stereophonics and Alison Moyet as well as a troupe of newsreaders performing a Beyonce routine, host Terry Wogan described the night as "fantastic".
Bringing the 30th Children in Need appeal to a close, Wogan, flanked by co-hosts Alesha Dixon and Tess Daly, urged Britons to help beat last year's record-breaking £38 million total - when more than £21 million had been raised on the night.
The veteran broadcaster said: "Another fantastic fundraising effort. We didn't get quite to £21 million but we got pretty close. When we give you the full total in a couple of months' time, I bet it will be pretty close to what we made last year."
Earlier in the night, BBC newsreaders Kate Silverton, Susanna Reid, Sophie Raworth and Fiona Bruce swapped pinstriped suits for bling as they performed Beyonce's hits Crazy In Love and Single Ladies. Silverton said later: "It was so out of our comfort zone, but it was worth it."
Adrian Chiles joined fellow presenters from The One Show for a gaudy rendition of Fame. Another unlikely sight was the Dragons' Den team donning hard hats and overalls to help renovate a Children in Need community centre in London.
Peter Kay had got the evening under way with his charity single. Under the name The Animated All Star Band, the track features more than 100 characters from children's shows down the ages.
A sneak preview of the Doctor Who Christmas episode and a special performance from the stars of Strictly Come Dancing also kept people tuning in. A special edition of Lark Rise to Candleford saw Sir Terry make a guest appearance at the village Post Office.
The show was graced by a string of musical performances, including efforts from the EastEnders' cast with a Motown celebration.
