The Big Night In Appeal show, which took place in the UK on 23 April, raised more than £10.3m in mobile donations, Fonix, the company whose platform processed the donations, has revealed.

The three-hour show saw BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief join forces for the first time. The £10.3m processed through text donations helped contribute to the £27.3m raised on the night of the Appeal. Funds raised will be split equally between BBC Children in Need and Comic Relief and will go on to support vital local charities and projects in the UK who are providing essential help to those most in need.

The show promoted text-to-donate, allowing donors to donate via text at one of four price points: £5, £10, £20 and £30. Three competitions were also promoted on the night including the David Walliams prize draw, Little Mix prize draw and a chance to win a Morgan car.

Donations for the competitions were charged to the entrant’s mobile phone bill. Fonix’s delayed donation technology gave entrants the choice to opt-out without being charged within 60 minutes of entering.

Kerry Howard, head of operations appeal for BBC Children in Need, said: “We’re so thankful to Fonix for enabling mobile donations so quickly and to the generous public whose donations will go on to make such a difference. A huge amount of money has been raised to help projects around the country that are doing vital work to support people throughout the pandemic.”

Jules Thorne, campaign co-director at Comic Relief, added: “Thanks to Fonix’s support and the enormous generosity of the public, both our charities will now make sure that this desperately needed funding supports vulnerable people, as quickly and efficiently as possible.”