Strictly fans plead with Rylan to sign up to the next series after impressing with his Children In Need routine - as 2026 appeal reaches a staggering £38.7m

Strictly Come Dancing fans have pleaded with Rylan Clark to sign up to the next series after he impressed viewers with his Children In Need routine on Friday night. 

The presenter, 38, co-hosted the annual fundraiser show alongside Sara Cox, Mel Giedroyc, Alex Jones and Tyler West, who all took part in the Strictly challenge, at MediaCityUK in Salford – with donations reaching a staggering £38.7million.

Rylan, who used to present It Takes Two, was partnered with Amy Dowden and danced a salsa to the Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life, dedicated to his mum, Linda. 

He said: 'As a kid my mum was always by my side. If I ever got in trouble at school she’d be the first one up there fighting my corner.

'Spice Up Your Life by Spice Girls, my mum always let me put this song on really, really loud and dance around and just be me.'

Fans wrote on X: 'We need #Strictly to get Rylan on the main #StrictlyComeDancing series now'

Strictly Come Dancing fans have pleaded with Rylan Clark to sign up to the next series after he impressed viewers with his Children In Need routine on Friday night

Rylan, who used to present It Takes Two, was partnered with Amy Dowden and danced a salsa to the Spice Girls’ Spice Up Your Life, dedicated to his mum, Linda.

'Watching Children In Need and thinking Rylan would have been the perfect Strictly Presenter & the fact he has presented a lot with Emma is a bonus. He is smashing it'

'why Rylan was overlooked to host strictly I do not know. An absolute natural. Him and Emma host it, along with some actual celebs - I'm back on board and will watch again.'

'Get Rylan on strictly immediately' and 'You NEED to do Strictly Rylan. You are fab!' 

Sara was partnered with Julian Caillon and they performed a jive to Queen's Crazy Little Thing Called Love in honour of her brother. 

Alex and Aljaž Škorjanec danced to Birdy’s Wings, dedicated to the BBC Children In Need’s Challenge Squad.

The Challenge Squad was made up of four inspirational young people who have each benefited from BBC Children In Need-funded projects. 

They took on a series of extraordinary personal challenges to help raise vital funds. 

Fans wrote on X: 'We need #Strictly to get Rylan on the main #StrictlyComeDancing series now', while others said he would be perfect as a host

The presenter, 38, co-hosted the annual fundraiser show alongside Sara Cox, Mel Giedroyc, Alex Jones and Tyler West, who all took part in the Strictly challenge, at MediaCityUk 

At the end of the show, the 2026 appeal reached a staggering £38.7m

Sara was partnered with Julian Caillon and they performed a jive to Queen's Crazy Little Thing Called Love in honour of her brother

Alex and Aljaž Škorjanec danced to Birdy’s Wings, dedicated to the BBC Children in Need’s Challenge Squad

Mel Giedroyc and Neil Jones performed The Floral Dance in tribute to the late Sir Terry Wogan, celebrating his enduring legacy and connection to BBC Children In Need

Tyler and Alexis Warr tore up the dancefloor with an energetic performance to Always There by Jocelyn Brown, dedicated to Molly Rainford

Morning Live presenters Michelle Ackerley and Gethin Jones joined by Kym Marsh, Mike Sweeney, Iona Bain, Nick Stapleton, Dr Ranj, Wayne Perrey and Yvonne Cobb to sing

Elsewhere in the show, Rylan got pranked by Zendaya and her Dune co-star Timothee Chalamet during an interview

Unbeknownst to the TV presenter, the actors were given a set of instructions to sabotage the chat by children via earpieces

Meanwhile, Owain Wyn Evans finished his four-nations cycling challenge in Cardiff on Friday, after raising £3,853,530 for Children In Need

Tyler and Alexis Warr tore up the dancefloor with an energetic performance to Always There by Jocelyn Brown, dedicated to his girlfriend Molly Rainford, while Mel Giedroyc and Neil Jones performed The Floral Dance in tribute to the late Sir Terry Wogan, celebrating his enduring legacy and connection to BBC Children In Need.

Elsewhere in the show, Rylan got pranked by Zendaya and her Dune co-star Timothee Chalamet during an interview. 

Unbeknownst to the TV presenter, the actors were given a set of instructions to sabotage the chat by children via earpieces.    

Rylan was thinking he was interviewing cast members, including Jason Momoa and Anya Taylor-Joy, about Dune: Part Three, which is scheduled to hit theatres and IMAX on December 18. 

However, the actors had a secret task up their sleeve, with Timothee, 30, being told he had to stroke Rylan's beard. 

A little hesitant at first, Timothee stood up and stretched mid conversation, before proceeding to be told 'do it' by the children. 

Rylan remained a true professional as the actor then stroked his beard, while Zendaya commented it looked so 'silky and smooth'. 

The evening opened with a memorable moment from Pudsey Bear who, for only the second time in BBC Children In Need history, found his voice to address the nation directly, delivering a heartfelt message that encouraged viewers to come together

Later in the show, viewers saw the culmination of Pudsey's Build-a-Band Challenge as Morning Live presenters Michelle Ackerley and Gethin Jones were joined by their fellow band members Kym Marsh, Mike Sweeney, Iona Bain, Nick Stapleton, Dr Ranj, Wayne Perrey and Yvonne Cobb to deliver a heartfelt performance of Tom Grennan's Little Bit Of Love that brought a memorable close to their Challenge Yourself journey which helped inspire viewers to support children and young people across the UK.

Audiences were moved to tears by The Children in Need Choir, who performed Stargazing by Myles Smith and You’ve Got the Love, originally by The Source ft Candi Staton, poignantly, the children and young people were joined on stage by their project workers at the close of the performance, highlighting the remarkable impact of having someone by your side

Meanwhile, Owain Wyn Evans finished his four-nations cycling challenge in Cardiff on Friday, after raising £3,853,530 for Children In Need.

The BBC Radio 2 presenter, 42, did a five-day cycle ride that took him through Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

As he crossed the finish line in Cardiff after 11am, Evans was greeted by a crowd cheering him on before he was met by his husband, Arran Rees.

The presenter, whose bike was named Shania Chain, said: 'Thank you so much everyone, from me and Shania.

'Honestly, this has felt so far away for such a long time. I can't believe that I'm here with this welcome and the sun's out!'

Asked how he was feeling, Owain said: 'Just reflecting on what it's been like. We're doing it all for an amazing cause, Children In Need.

'There are so many children who need our help and who will be helped by all the donations.'

Speaking to fellow BBC Radio 2 presenter Vernon Kay, Evans spoke about the gruelling nature of the challenge, saying: 'You get the excitement at the start and it's such an amazing thing.

'My whole life I felt like I had to be grateful for every opportunity that comes my way, because I am.

'You train so hard, me and Shania Twain going around the streets, but the reality of it, it's so hard.

'It's been amazing every step of the way and that's been super emotional as well.'

The UK turned yellow for Pudsey as iconic landmarks across the country lit up in BBC Children In Need's signature colour.