Rylan Clark-Neal to take on 24 hour karaoke challenge for BBC Children in Need

Radio 2 presenter Rylan Clark-Neal will sing in a 24 hour karaoke extravaganza to raise money for BBC Children in Need 2019.

Rylan is – the Beeb note – partial to a bit of karaoke and he was of course a contestant on ITV karaoke-fest The X Factor in 2012. The challenge will kick off at the end of the Zoe Ball Breakfast show at 9am on Tuesday 12 November, with Rylan belting out karaoke classics through to 9am on Wednesday 13 November.

“BBC Children in Need is a cause close to the heart of the generous Radio 2 listeners, so thank you to Rylan for agreeing to perform a 24 hour karaoke.” – Lewis Carnie, Head of Radio 2

The marathon sing-a-long will take place at the Radio 2 studios in Wogan House, London and will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, and streamed live in vision on the BBC Red Button where viewers can watch Rylan and his guests perform.

Viewers will also be able to send in messages of support for Rylan should they be so inclined, and these will appear in a ticker across the screen along with details of how to donate via text. Audiences will be able to donate to support Rylan via text donation and through the BBC Children in Need website.

“My love of karaoke is absolutely no secret and so I’m incredibly excited to take to the microphone and raise as much as I possibly can for BBC Children in Need. Tune in to BBC Radio 2 or via BBC Red Button from 9am on the 12 November to hear me – and my special guests – serenade the Radio 2 family with as many karaoke classics as I can fit into 24 hours. And don’t forget to donate!” – Rylan Clark-Neal

Rylan’s fellow Radio 2 presenters will be joining him on his mammoth musical journey. Throughout the 24 hour period, they’ll challenge Rylan to play The Wheel of Karaoke Fortune – a game in which Rylan, joined for each round by a special guest from the world of music and showbiz, must perform any song, decided by the wheel, live on air.

Radio 2 has previously hosted ’24 hour’ challenges for Comic Relief with Tess Daly & Claudia Winkleman, Sara Cox and Dermot O’Leary all taking part in Danceathons at various times.

Rylan shot to fame on the ninth series of The X Factor, in 2012, becoming notable for his hysterical reaction to mentor Nicole Scherzinger putting him through to the live shows and then through keeping his place in the competition – much to Gary Barlow’s chagrin –  despite a lack of vocal talent. He made the quarter-final of the singing contest, before going on to win Celebrity Big Brother 11 in 2013. 

Ryan later co-presented Big Brother spin-off series Bit On The Side with Emma Willis between 2013-2015, and then on his own until the series’ cancellation in 2018. Other TV work includes Up Late with Rylan, This Morning and Strictly: It Takes Two. The camp personality has recently found himself sought after to host a number of revived formats including Supermarket Sweep on ITV2 and Ready Steady Cook for the Beeb. He presents Rylan on Saturday for Radio 2.