Members of the UK public will have the opportunity to appear on a new live TV show by competing in BBC Children in Need’s Just Dance for Pudsey charity gaming initiative.
BBC Children in Need has launched a brand new campaign – Game to Give – to encourage gamers to join forces and help raise money for the charity, all whilst competing to take part in a live BBC TV show.
The collaboration, imagined by UK games industry trade body Ukie’s Digital Schoolhouse initiative, BBC Children in Need and Ubisoft’s Just Dance game, seeks to unite the nation through the medium of dance to raise money for charity.
Digital Schoolhouse runs esports tournaments for school and college students across the UK, such as the Digital Schoolhouse Smash Bros 2023 UK finals won by Norton College earlier this year. Now, they’re doing something a bit different, with a competitive dancing game tournament, promoted recently on BBC Morning Live with professional dancer and Strictly Come Dancing personality Aljaz Skorjanec.
The show, ‘Game On! For BBC Children in Need‘, made by BBC Studios Entertainment and Music and commissioned by the BBC, will be broadcast live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer from Confetti X in Nottingham on Friday November 10th 2023.
Ukie said: “Digital Schoolhouse is pleased to team up with BBC Children in Need and Ubisoft’s Just Dance team to create an exciting collaboration that brings together video games with Computer Science and Physical Education in schools. Delving into the world of esports, we have adapted our popular Junior Tournament to help fundraise for Children in Need.”
Across the UK, BBC Children in Need says it’s funding ‘many charities who are using video games to help support children and young people through various challenges that they may be facing’.
Which hosts and influencers will join Game On! For BBC Children in Need?
BBC Radio 1’s Vick Hope will team up with BBC gaming expert Steffan Powell to host Game On! For BBC Children in Need, a live fundraiser.
They will be joined by TV and radio presenter Lauren Layfield, as well as some of the UK’s most popular gamers and content creators including Slogo and Spencer FC, to help raise money for BBC Children in Need. Yung Filly, Nic Hamilton, Harry Pinero, the Quadrant team and Elz the Witch will race on the F1 23 Sim Rig while over in the Hado arena, Tillie Amartey, Ellie Simmonds and Nile Wilson will form one team, while Bayo Akinfenwa, Tilley Lockey and Sam Quek form the second to take on the winners of the BBC Children in Need Hado tournament.
Celebrities including Nikita Kanda will take on Just Dance Now, Luke Vernon will front vox pops speaking to fans at London’s Comic Con and social media sensations The Famileigh will provide an exclusive performance. Globally renowned streamers Bateson87, Freyzplayz, Geeky Cassie, Koji, Leahviathan and Tubbo will also stream all the action live from the studio. With more guest stars to be announced.
How to enter Just Dance for Pudsey, plus a Hado and sim racing tournament
Members of the public will have the opportunity to appear on the live TV show by competing in BBC Children in Need’s Just Dance for Pudsey competition.
Teams have one week to enter into the ballot to be in with a chance to dance live on TV. There are two ballots, one for schools and one for families to enter. Both ballots close on Monday October 9th 2023 at 2pm, after which a winning team from each ballot will be selected by a random generator and contacted by email that day.
BBC Children In Need have selected two songs for teams to practice their moves to – ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor and ‘Radioactive’ by Imagine Dragons. Both songs are featured in Pudsey’s Playlist, which is free to download now on the Just Dance Now app.
For those that don’t fancy dusting off their dancing shoes, The Hado Tournament for BBC Children in Need is also open for teams aged 16+ to compete in the augmented reality game. The 5G-powered AR tournament will travel to eight locations across the UK, and Virgin Media O2 and Ericsson are on board to bring Hado to cities across the UK.
Teams will compete at each venue and the top two will be invited to take part in the live show. Registrations for The Hado Tournament for BBC Children in Need closes at midday on October 3rd.
Lisa Kelly, Head of Innovation and Development, BBC Children in Need, said: “BBC Children in Need is delighted that Virgin Media O2 and Ericsson are supporting the Hado tour as our official connectivity partners. This is our first ever gaming initiative which will culminate in a live show on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Three on November 10th. It’s fantastic to have 5G connectivity to power the Hado tournament.”
Jeanie York, Chief Technology Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “We are so proud to be playing a part in this year’s BBC Children in Need and using our services to make a real difference to the lives of deserving children across the UK. Next-generation 5G technology can transform gaming and by using it to support the Hado tournament, we’re using the power of our network to make a positive impact on society while supporting this important cause.”
In addition, gamers still have the chance to take part in BBC Children in Need’s Sim Rig Tour with drivers aged 16+ being invited to set their best lap time in F1 23 on the virtual Silverstone circuit. The fastest 50 drivers will go into a ballot, with two lucky names being selected at random and invited to race on the live show.
Upcoming tour dates:
- Tuesday 3 October – Belfast Victoria Square
- Thursday 5 October – Glasgow St Enoch’s
- Monday 9 October – Leeds Trinity
- Wednesday 11 October -Birmingham Bullring
- Friday 13 October – Nottingham Victoria
- Monday 16 October – Cardiff St David’s
- Wednesday 18 October -Bristol Cabot Circus
- Friday 20 October – Bluewater
To enter the Just Dance Ballot or register for the Hado Tournament, visit https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/shows/game-to-give/
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
