Alex Jones breaks down in tears during emotional Children in Need moment 'I was a mess'

Emotions were at an all-time high on Friday night as the nation gathered once again to raise life-changing funds for children and young people across the country.

Viewers saw hosts Mel Giedroyc, Rochelle Humes, Ade Adepitan, Vernon Kay, Lenny Rush, and Chris Ramsey oversee the night and a string of special segments.

One of which includes Girls Aloud coming together for a brand-new version of their cover of I'll Stand By You, 20 years from its original release.

In a heartbreaking change, the late will be featuring on lead vocals. The vocals were discovered in the Girls Aloud vault while the band were pulling together archive material for their tour earlier this year.

Elsewhere on the show, The One Show's Alex Jones and Roman Kemp discussed one member of The Challenge Squad.

The squad consists of four inspirational young people who have benefitted from Children in Need funding. Ethan also made a special appearance live on the show.

Viewers learned Ethan was diagnosed with Hurler Syndrome at six months old, which is a rare condition impacting his growth, bones, hearing, and eyesight.

Introducing Ethan, Alex said, "Ethan is an incredible young man. All his life, he's battled to overcome one heartbreaking obstacle after another. But the amazing thing about Ethan is that none of it has ever broken his spirit.

"Tonight, he'll be bringing his amazing energy to this stage as he takes on another challenge that will push him right out of his comfort zone. For one night, he has only been joining the cast of Come Alive! The Greatest Showman."

After earning a huge round of applause from the audience, a video of Ethan played on screen before cutting back to the live show to show the 16-year-old in his circus attire.

After a show-stopping performance from Ethan, who had a solo part in the song, Alex joined him on stage and was visibly moved.

His parents also ran on to give Ethan a huge hug as Vernon Kay confessed: "He was super! We did have a little cry at the side, didn't we?"

Alex added: "I mean, Diane (Ethan's mum), I don't know how you're even standing. I was a mess over there! Ethan, you're phenomenal and I think he delivered tonight big time.

"But what we didn't see, of course, was all the hard work, and you can attest to that as parents. The fact that it's so hard, every movement- but my goodness, tonight you were The Greatest Showman."

Ahead of his performance, he said: "After watching The Greatest Showman, to see different disabilities and see how good they were, I thought, 'They're disabled so I can do it'. It's a song for all of us people who are different, it makes us feel special."

Children in Need is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.