Sara Cox emotional as Children in Need total tops one million pounds
Sara Cox was left in tears on BBC Radio 2 this morning after Scott Mills revealed that the Children in Need Challenge total had reached an incredible £1,002,869.
Speaking live on the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, a shocked Sara couldn’t contain her emotions. “Oh my god. One million two thousand… we’ve done a million!” she said. “That’s massive. Thank you, that’s amazing. You have completely broken me, everybody who has donated. Every fiver, every tenner — it all makes a massive difference.”
It marked a huge milestone for the annual charity effort, as Sara continues her Great Northern Marathon Challenge for Children in Need. Now on Day three, she’s tackling a 28-mile stretch from Wolsingham to Richmond, described by her team as the toughest yet.
After a sleepless night, Sara admitted she was “really, really struggling” and even had to resort to walking backwards at one stage. Scott Mills, who has been following her progress, said: “I really feel for her. She needs all the help she can get.”
Joining the show from the Radio 2 studio, Paddy McGuinness — standing in for Vernon Kay — encouraged listeners to show their support.
“It’s not so much for Sara as it is for everyone else,” he said. “People power. When I did my challenge, that’s what got me through it. Whether you donate or not, get out, cheer her on, and throw a few placards. It’s so difficult out there in the middle of winter, but people power gets you over that line.”
Offering insight from experience, Paddy added: “She’s right in the eye of the storm now. You start off with excitement, but then it slowly dawns on you. When it’s cold, quiet, and raining, you can feel dejected but a smile from someone at the roadside can carry you through.”
And in a typically warm and witty message, Peter Kay — a fellow Boltonian — sent his encouragement too.
“Hello Sara, it’s Peter,” he said. “What you’re doing is a massive challenge. I thought Paddy and Vernon had it hard, but you’re taking it to the next level. When you feel you can’t go on, think about all those children in need. Mind you, with all that money raised, they still haven’t fixed Pudsey’s eye!”
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Radio 2 will be bringing regular updates live on air and you can follow the action on BBC Sounds and across Radio 2’s social channels (Radio 2’s Instagram and TikTok). A live tracker is now available online where you can follow Sara’s route in real time and see Sara’s progress throughout the challenge: https://bbc.co.uk/sara.