One Direction help raise $52 million for Children in Need

One Direction and fellow British pop stars S Club 7 and Boyzone helped to raise more than $52 million during the BBC's Children in Need telethon on Friday (14Nov14).

The six-and-a-half-hour live event, hosted by veteran presenter Terry Wogan and The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes, featured special performances from stars including Susan Boyle, Cheryl Cole, and The Script.

One Direction sang their new single Steal My Girl from the set of hit soap opera EastEnders, and reunited pop band S Club 7 performed together in public for the first time since 2003.

The event also included a new cartoon featuring Tom and Jerry, which was made specially for the annual charity fundraiser.

By the close of the telethon at 2am London time on Saturday (15Nov14), donations had reached $52.1 million . That figure is expected to rise over the coming days as more money floods in. Last year's (13) final total reached $79.3 million after $49.7 million was generated on the night.

Children in Need raises money for disadvantaged youngsters in the U.K.