It’s not long to go until the next BBC Children in Need, which takes place on Friday 13th November 2026. Already, Brits are being encouraged to open their hearts and wallets to the vulnerable. Case in point: last week I watched The One Show (yes really) and it had an emotional segment about a young boy helped by a brain tumour charity. I mention this to emphasise that I am not anti BBC Children in Need. It has done fantastic work over the years, pouring lots of money into groups and organisations doing the world of good. I say the same thing about charities, generally. The problem is ideological capture.
Children in Need is certainly not immune from this issue. I have been very alarmed by multiple examples of what it’s funding, including groups that are very identity-focussed (based on race or another characteristic that further splinters British society) or are deeply ideological (for example, one LGBT+ group I explore - Cumbria Pride - has a page about pronouns on its website). In this piece I will give you five examples of exactly what Children in Need has been funding, in addition to its good work, to show you Pudsey’s downfall: