BBC Children In Need, Tomorrow at 7pm on BBC One, BBC Red Button (with BSL) and iPlayer
RileyTaylor123
Posts: 70 Forum Member
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It’s almost that time of year again, when the country comes together for one of television’s longest-running and most beloved charity events. BBC Children in Need 2025 will take to our screens live tomorrow evening, Friday 14th November, from 7pm to 10pm on BBC One. This year’s show promises to be one of the most entertaining, inclusive, and ambitious yet, with a blend of music, comedy, heartfelt storytelling, and the all-important fundraising moments that define the night. Hosting duties this year will be shared by Mel Giedroyc, Rochelle Humes, Vernon Kay, and Lenny Rush, who return to lead the show with their trademark warmth and humour. Joining them for the first time are Paddy McGuinness and Big Zuu, adding fresh energy and charisma to a night that will celebrate both generosity and joy.
Tomorrow’s live broadcast will showcase a wide mix of performances and sketches featuring some of the UK’s most familiar faces stepping outside of their comfort zones to surprise, amuse, and inspire. Expect unexpected duets, laugh-out-loud comedy, and of course, the emotional stories of the children and young people whose lives have been changed through the charity’s work. It is, as ever, one of the few nights of the year where the whole country unites behind a common purpose — helping children and young people across the UK overcome disadvantage and build better futures.
One of the biggest innovations this year is a major step forward in accessibility. For the first time ever in the 45-year history of the Children in Need appeal show, there will be a live simulcast with in-vision British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation. This means that viewers who rely on BSL will be able to enjoy and engage with the live broadcast as it happens, rather than relying solely on subtitles. The signed version of the live show will be available simultaneously on the BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer. This marks a significant commitment by the BBC to improve accessibility and inclusivity for all audiences.
For those wondering how to access it: the signed simulcast will appear on the Red Button (without pressing the red button during the show itself) via Freeview, TalkTalk, YouView, or EE on channel 601, on SkyQ and Freesat channel 970, and on Virgin Media channel 991. As always, viewers can also watch live on BBC iPlayer by searching “Children in Need” and selecting “Signed: Live Show”. Both feeds — Red Button and iPlayer — will carry the same signed broadcast, with the BSL interpreter appearing on-screen in real time alongside the live content from BBC One.
It’s important to note that the main BBC One broadcast will remain in its standard form, meaning viewers can still choose to watch the traditional feed with subtitles and, for the first time ever, audio description available live on the accessibility settings. This represents another major step for the BBC in making its live charity broadcasts accessible to as many people as possible. However, while subtitles and audio description have long been part of accessibility provisions, the addition of live in-vision BSL interpretation finally brings full inclusion to those who rely on signing as their primary means of communication.
This new model — using a single signed simulcast feed rather than producing multiple versions — mirrors what the BBC has been doing throughout 2025 for major live events. Earlier this year, similar BSL broadcasts appeared for Comic Relief in March, VE Day 80 programmes in May (“The Nation Pays Tribute”, “The Nation Remembers”, and “A Celebration to Remember”), and Eurovision 2025 across its three live shows on the 13th, 15th, and 17th of May. Just last weekend, viewers might have noticed the same system in action for the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday 8th November and the Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph service on the 9th. The BBC also provided a BSL version of VJ Day 80: The Nation’s Tribute on 15th August. These broadcasts have all used the same approach — a single live feed from BBC One with real-time BSL interpretation available via Red Button and iPlayer.
The fact that the BBC is continuing to invest in this kind of accessibility is encouraging. It signals a shift toward a future in which accessibility isn’t treated as an afterthought or a technical extra, but as an integral part of live broadcasting. For years, accessibility provisions were confined largely to late-night or off-peak “Sign Zone” slots, where pre-recorded programmes were re-aired with signing. The Children in Need 2025 simulcast breaks that mould entirely, showing that sign language interpretation can and should be part of mainstream, live, high-profile television.
Some might wonder if this expansion of BSL coverage is part of a temporary trend or something more permanent. In reality, it’s part of a deliberate evolution by the BBC. The broadcaster has been steadily developing ways to make live television more inclusive through multiple feeds — rather than squeezing accessibility versions into off-peak hours. In fact, 2025 marks 25 years since the BBC first began providing signed programming on a regular basis. Back then, the majority of signed shows were pre-recorded and broadcast in overnight or early morning slots. Up until January 2013, BBC One was the main home of the Sign Zone, but on the 14th of January that year, the Sign Zone moved permanently to BBC Two, where it remains today.
So while this year’s Children in Need will continue the long tradition of heart, humour, and hope, it will also stand as a milestone for accessibility on live British television. The combination of BSL on Red Button and iPlayer, audio description on the main BBC One feed, and full subtitles across all versions means that more people than ever before will be able to take part in the experience. That inclusivity — the idea that everyone, regardless of how they watch or listen, can share the same national moment — feels entirely in the spirit of Children in Need itself.
So, tomorrow evening from 7pm, tune in, watch, laugh, cry, donate, and celebrate 45 years of an extraordinary tradition that continues to change lives. Whether you’re watching on BBC One, on iPlayer, or via the signed feed on the Red Button, it’s going to be a night where everyone can be part of the story.
Tomorrow’s live broadcast will showcase a wide mix of performances and sketches featuring some of the UK’s most familiar faces stepping outside of their comfort zones to surprise, amuse, and inspire. Expect unexpected duets, laugh-out-loud comedy, and of course, the emotional stories of the children and young people whose lives have been changed through the charity’s work. It is, as ever, one of the few nights of the year where the whole country unites behind a common purpose — helping children and young people across the UK overcome disadvantage and build better futures.
One of the biggest innovations this year is a major step forward in accessibility. For the first time ever in the 45-year history of the Children in Need appeal show, there will be a live simulcast with in-vision British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation. This means that viewers who rely on BSL will be able to enjoy and engage with the live broadcast as it happens, rather than relying solely on subtitles. The signed version of the live show will be available simultaneously on the BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer. This marks a significant commitment by the BBC to improve accessibility and inclusivity for all audiences.
For those wondering how to access it: the signed simulcast will appear on the Red Button (without pressing the red button during the show itself) via Freeview, TalkTalk, YouView, or EE on channel 601, on SkyQ and Freesat channel 970, and on Virgin Media channel 991. As always, viewers can also watch live on BBC iPlayer by searching “Children in Need” and selecting “Signed: Live Show”. Both feeds — Red Button and iPlayer — will carry the same signed broadcast, with the BSL interpreter appearing on-screen in real time alongside the live content from BBC One.
It’s important to note that the main BBC One broadcast will remain in its standard form, meaning viewers can still choose to watch the traditional feed with subtitles and, for the first time ever, audio description available live on the accessibility settings. This represents another major step for the BBC in making its live charity broadcasts accessible to as many people as possible. However, while subtitles and audio description have long been part of accessibility provisions, the addition of live in-vision BSL interpretation finally brings full inclusion to those who rely on signing as their primary means of communication.
This new model — using a single signed simulcast feed rather than producing multiple versions — mirrors what the BBC has been doing throughout 2025 for major live events. Earlier this year, similar BSL broadcasts appeared for Comic Relief in March, VE Day 80 programmes in May (“The Nation Pays Tribute”, “The Nation Remembers”, and “A Celebration to Remember”), and Eurovision 2025 across its three live shows on the 13th, 15th, and 17th of May. Just last weekend, viewers might have noticed the same system in action for the Festival of Remembrance on Saturday 8th November and the Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph service on the 9th. The BBC also provided a BSL version of VJ Day 80: The Nation’s Tribute on 15th August. These broadcasts have all used the same approach — a single live feed from BBC One with real-time BSL interpretation available via Red Button and iPlayer.
The fact that the BBC is continuing to invest in this kind of accessibility is encouraging. It signals a shift toward a future in which accessibility isn’t treated as an afterthought or a technical extra, but as an integral part of live broadcasting. For years, accessibility provisions were confined largely to late-night or off-peak “Sign Zone” slots, where pre-recorded programmes were re-aired with signing. The Children in Need 2025 simulcast breaks that mould entirely, showing that sign language interpretation can and should be part of mainstream, live, high-profile television.
Some might wonder if this expansion of BSL coverage is part of a temporary trend or something more permanent. In reality, it’s part of a deliberate evolution by the BBC. The broadcaster has been steadily developing ways to make live television more inclusive through multiple feeds — rather than squeezing accessibility versions into off-peak hours. In fact, 2025 marks 25 years since the BBC first began providing signed programming on a regular basis. Back then, the majority of signed shows were pre-recorded and broadcast in overnight or early morning slots. Up until January 2013, BBC One was the main home of the Sign Zone, but on the 14th of January that year, the Sign Zone moved permanently to BBC Two, where it remains today.
So while this year’s Children in Need will continue the long tradition of heart, humour, and hope, it will also stand as a milestone for accessibility on live British television. The combination of BSL on Red Button and iPlayer, audio description on the main BBC One feed, and full subtitles across all versions means that more people than ever before will be able to take part in the experience. That inclusivity — the idea that everyone, regardless of how they watch or listen, can share the same national moment — feels entirely in the spirit of Children in Need itself.
So, tomorrow evening from 7pm, tune in, watch, laugh, cry, donate, and celebrate 45 years of an extraordinary tradition that continues to change lives. Whether you’re watching on BBC One, on iPlayer, or via the signed feed on the Red Button, it’s going to be a night where everyone can be part of the story.
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Comments
@Support
These forums are one of the worst run forums on the entire internet, there already is a thread for this up & running in the TV section of the forum, but @support allow multiple spam threads on the same topic in other sections of the forum which is annoying.
I'm with you.
I'll pass too.
Can't understand why there are duplicate threads about this.
Who contributed to their original thread within ten minutes of starting this one by quoting that thread and reminded us about the different ways to watch show.