People across Wales took part in the charity event

The proceeds will go towards helping young people affected by homelessness, HIV, sexual abuse and drug addiction.

One of the highlights of the charity event was a concert staged at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr, south Wales.

A family audience of 5,000 were treated to live performances from Bryn Terfel, The Pretenders, Louise, Lisa Maffia, the Fast Food Rockers and James Fox.

The final UK total after Friday night's event was �15,305,212 - beating the record �13.5m raised last year.

Organisers are hoping to beat last year's final total of more than �26m raised from all donations.

So far in Wales �601,134 has been raised.

The amount is expected to rise as information from across the country is collated over the next few days.

The event in Merthyr was featured regularly during the live Children in Need festivities on BBC One with BBC Wales presenters Frances Donovan and Jason Mohammad enabling viewers all over the UK to share in the atmosphere.

Andrew Coke and Steve Roberts spent 30 hours in the cage

The concert was also broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales with digital TV viewers being able to relive the highlights through a special programme on BBC 2W later in the year.

People across the country helped to raise money on the night.

Among them were two pub workers from north Wales who were inspired to 'do a David Blaine' by spending 30 hours in a cage suspended 30ft above the River Dee.

Andrew Coke and Steve Roberts from The Boat Inn in Erbistock near Wrexham, climbed into their box at 1530 GMT on Thursday and re-emerged at 2130 GMT on Friday.

BBC Children in Need started in 1980, and has raised more than �325 million.