Children in Need 2014: Billionaire Sir Tom Hunter donates £1 million to Radio 2's charity auction

The Scottish billionaire matched all the donations raised for Chris Evans' Children in Need auction

As Children in Need kicks off this evening the coffers are already looking pretty healthy after Scottish billionaire Sir Tom Hunter made a £1m donation.

The business tycoon offered to match donations raised for Chris Evans' Children in Need auction, rounding the total up to a million pounds.

Appearing on the Chris Evans Breakfast show on Radio 2 the businessman, who made his fortune selling Sports Division to JJB Sports for nearly £300m in 1998, said he had made the donation because "The definition of real kindness is to help someone you'll never meet."

In total BBC Radio 2 listeners have helped raise £6,186,178 for Children in Need this year.

Tonight's Children in Need bonanza on BBC One kicked off at 7.30pm and will include the reunion of '90s tween band S Club 7, EastEnders stars will turn Cirque du Soleil into Cirque du Albert Square and performances by Cheryl Fernandez Versini and Gareth Malone's All Star Choir.

Tonight's presenters include Sir Terry Wogan, Tess Daly, Nick Grimshaw, Fearne Cotton and The Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes.

More than £740m has been donated to disadvantaged children since the first show in 1980.

To donate visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey or call 03457 33 22 33.