Jamie Cullum and BBC Children in Need official single
We are so excited to feature in the video for the brand new Children in Need official single, “Love Is In The Picture”, written and recorded by Jamie Cullum. It is available as a stand-alone charity single from today (Wednesday 31 October).
Jamie joined us recently on a visit to University College Hospital where he spent an afternoon with our entertainers, watching them do what they do best on the paediatric and adolescent wards.
He first joined the teenagers in a karaoke session with our lovely singer Collette. Together they got everyone singing, even those who were more reluctant and shy at first. Our magician Sacha then wowed everyone with his magic tricks.
Later in the visit, on the paediatric oncology ward, he was able to see magician Ian, fairy Ellie and face painter Marina make the kids smile and giggle.
Jamie said, “Spread a Smile is a very very well-named charity. I saw first-hand how they spread smiles all around here. Today I met a boy called who was hiding behind his blanket when we came in. He got to see a bit of magic, I got to share a few jokes with him and he heard some singing. In the end, he was smiling and chatty. You can see how that brings a little bit of lightness to a day that is otherwise filled with a lot of hardships that someone that age shouldn’t be going through. I feel incredibly moved by being here and by the work they’re doing and it’s an amazing thing that Children in Need are helping to make happen.”
Spread a Smile co-founder Vanessa Crocker said, “It was such a pleasure to meet Jamie. He had real empathy for the children and their families, and it was lovely to see him so engaged with the kids that we visited. I spoke to him about Spread a Smile’s work and how much we appreciate BBC Children in Need’s support. He told me it was amazing seeing such a tangible effect that Spread a Smile has: children who were quiet and detached, becoming engrossed by the entertainment and forgetting they were patients for a special moment or two.
“We are incredibly grateful to Children in Need for their ongoing support and for involving us in the official single this year.”
The footage filmed on the afternoon will be aired as part of the 2018 BBC Children in Need Appeal Show on Friday 16 November, at 9.50pm on BBC One.
‘Love Is In The Picture’ is on sale from today (Wednesday 31 October) and all profits from the single will go to the charity, with a minimum of 40p from each single sale.
Make sure you tune into BBC One on Friday 16 November at 9.50pm to see the single’s debut performance and watch our brilliant entertainers in action!