Q&A with Children in Need presenters

November 2023

Q&A with Children in Need presenters

BBC Children in Need will air at 7:00pm on BBC One live from dock10 studios and will be available to catch up on BBC iPlayer. A live entertainment extravaganza with three-hours of comedy, music and surprise guests, all to help raise vital funds for BBC Children in Need.

Q&A with Children in Need presenters, Ade Adepitan, Mel Giedroyc, Chris Ramsey, Lenny Rush and Alex Scott:

Q: You've presented the show before. Do you get nervous or excited before the show begins?

Ade Adepitan "Nervous and excited. It's a normal feeling presenting live tv – I'd be more worried if I didn't feel nervous!"

Chris Ramsey "You always get nervous... then you get even more nervous if you aren't nervous! You start to think 'why am I not nervous?! What's going on!?' It's a huge show at the end of the day. But the team and everyone involved are top class, so you know nothing major is going to go wrong... you just need to remember where to stand and make sure you can read the autocue!"

Alex Scott "A bit of both to be honest! The night is always so much fun, but I also want to do my best to help raise as much as possible and make the night as special as it can be."

Q: Describe the challenge of presenting such a long live TV show on BBC One?

Ade Adepitan "Stamina! You need a good sleep the night before. You have to constantly keep your wits about you to respond to any situation – it's a big studio with lots of people – a mad circus!"

Mel Giedroyc "You have to pace yourself. Don't go out of the traps at 200 per cent...try and back-foot it just a little and let it roll out in a relaxed way. Which is IMPOSSIBLE when the whole thing runs on excitement and adrenaline!"

Chris Ramsey "It absolutely flies by! Literally feels like about 15 minutes. It's so much fun and so well run that it just breezes past and by the time you are really enjoying yourself it's time to hand over to Mel, Lenny and Jason!"

Alex Scott "For me it's all about the preparation - I like to make sure that I'm always super prepared for everything I do to make sure that I can do the best job I can on the night. It's different for every show but I'll be reading through the scripts, researching etc. ahead of the show. I'll also probably be listening to some 90's RnB backstage while I get ready to get me in the zone."

Q: What do you enjoy the most about presenting the show?

Mel Giedroyc "It's a gig like no other. I love the excitement in the audience - people are really happy to be there in the studio - the vibe is extraordinary. I also love it when things fray just a bit at the edges- the nature of presenting a live show - it warms the cockles".

Chris Ramsey "It's honestly a joy from start to finish. The whole production and the team involved from the ground up are phenomenal, my fellow presenters are the absolute best in the business, and you know it's all to raise money for incredible causes... It's really the best job on TV! I literally moved a full arena show to a different day when I was asked to BBC Children in Need again... that's how much I enjoy it!"

Q: Finally, how will you relax after the BBC Children in Need show?

Ade Adepitan "An early night and maybe a pizza! I'm playing with my basketball team at the weekend and we're defending our league championship, so I need to prepare for that!"

Mel Giedroyc "I will probably bounce around for a bit in Pudsey ears, shouting loudly and hugging everybody, before having a terrible crash at around midnight when I will need to be escorted home."

Chris Ramsey "I do the early shift, so I usually end up getting out of the studio and watching the rest of the show!"

Lenny Rush "I don't think I will be able to relax because I will be buzzing and so excited. But maybe a nice long warm bath, candles and everything."

Alex Scott "The show is so inspiring and emotional - I will call my mum straight after the show. It always makes me so grateful for the important people in my life."