Canadian rocker Bryan Adams headlined Pudsey's Wrexham event

Thousands descended on Wrexham for the Party for Pudsey, starring Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, Wet Wet Wet, Lisa Stansfield and classical singer Katherine Jenkins.

Friday's event it was the first time Pudsey had held his annual fundraising night in north Wales.

The 25th Children in Need appeal has raised more than �17m on the night - up from �15.5m in 2003, the BBC said.

The event was held in Llwyn Isaf, near Wrexham Guildhall, and is on target to raise �695,280.

Last year, the Children in Need appeal raised �30m across the UK, of which more than �2.3m was distributed to charities throughout Wales.

A squad of rugby-playing soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Welch Fusiliers aim to continue the fun and fundraising on Saturday.

They are running the 137 miles from Wrexham to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff carrying a rugby ball, and plan to make a conversion before the Wales - All Blacks international.

Pudsey helped out in a High Street chemists to highlight his appeal

The charity drive comes hours after the successful concert in Wrexham.

The producer of that event, Jonathan Davies, said this year's inclusion of Bryan Adams was "a real coup".

"We were very excited that Bryan Adams agreed to play," he said.

"He is a huge international star and is currently touring the world with new material from his album. This was a truly impressive line-up."

The television broadcast was presented by Jason Mohammad and Frances Donovan, while Kevin Hughes and Howard Griffiths were on hand to introduce the acts on stage.

Telephone auction

Children in Need events manager Jim Mayer said 200 people were involved in putting the show on.

"Three months ago we started planning the site," he said.

"It's three days to build the stage, two days to light it and then another day to put the sound in."

On Friday, the family of a 12-year-old from Treherbert in Rhondda successfully bid �550 for two Welsh Rugby Union tickets to see Wales versus New Zealand in Cardiff on Saturday.

The telephone auction in aid of Children in Need was held on Radio Wales.

Steffan Davies is to take his father Geraint with him to watch the match.

Concert

He also won a signed shirt from assistant coach Scott Johnson. He will be presented with it on the pitch side before kick off.

The Welsh event was held outside Cardiff for the first time last year when it was at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, where more than �600,000 was raised.

Other events held across Wales this year included a special BBC Children in Need concert on Friday at Rhydycar Leisure Centre, Merthyr Tydfil.

The BBC National of Wales Orchestra event started at 1930 GMT and BBC Wales presenter Jamie Owen was in attendance alongside conductor Jason Lai.

History

In Cardiff, fire crews rolled up their sleeves and held a special charity car wash.

Firefighters from Cardiff Central, Roath, Ely, Whitchurch and Penarth cleaned up the city's cars on the forecourt of central fire station on Adam Street.

The BBC's first broadcast appeal for children took place in 1927, in the form of a five-minute radio broadcast on Christmas Day.

Money raised goes to many areas of need in the UK, each dedicated to improving the lives of young people in Britain.