NEWS RELEASE 4th December 2014 A GALAXY OF STARS FOR TEXT SANTA ON UTV Text Santa returns to UTV on Friday 19 December at 8pm with a star studded line-up to entertain viewers. The national ITV appeal, supported by UTV, has raised £15 million for charities since it started in 2011. The glittering line-up features presenters Ant and Dec, Phillip Schofield and Christine Bleakley, Alesha Dixon and Paddy McGuinness, and stars such as Carey Mulligan, Brenda Blethyn, Simon Cowell and the cast of Coronation Street. Hollywood A-Lister, George Clooney, stars alongside the cast of hit period drama Downton Abbey in a mini-episode recorded exclusively for Text Santa. Also joining the aristocratic Crawley family will be Mr Selfridge star, Jeremy Piven. Throughout the three hour packed evening, viewers will be treated to comedy, music and special episodes of popular UTV programmes interspersed with emotive films, highlighting why this host of stars are coming together to raise funds for six UK charities. The leading characters of Coronation Street appear as they’ve never been seen before with some special guests arriving on the cobbles, including X Factor judge Mel B. There will also be performances by Olly Murs and this year’s X Factor Winner. Plus the cast of Emmerdale also give a special message for Text Santa. Other highlights include: • Saturday Night Takeaway – Ant & Dec’s show meets Text Santa. • I’m a Celebrity Get me out of Here! –A special celebrity choir of ex-jungle contestants including Helen Flanagan, Jenny Éclair, Kerry Katona, Pat Sharp, David Van Day and Katie Price will serenade viewers. • Birds of a Feather - special sketch of the hit ITV comedy starring Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson, Lesley Joseph plus a surprise Santa. • The Cube - Alesha Dixon and Paddy McGuinness join forces to raise money for Text Santa in this special edition of the game show. For the first time ever two people will take on the challenges, but can they beat The Cube and does The Body seem a little different? • Exclusive - the full story of how Phillip scaled the heights to raise money for Text Santa A number of celebrity supporters will send messages of support throughout the evening including Nicole Scherzinger, Jessie J, Kyle Minogue, Al Murray, Martin Clunes, Jack Whitehall and Twiggy. Plus football superstar Frank Lampard is the face of the Text Santa schools campaign and also fronts the CITV Text Santa ‘Share a Story Competition’ as a judge. This year’s chosen charities are Teenage Cancer Trust, Guide Dogs, WellChild, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Alzheimer’s Society and Together for Short Lives. All donations will be divided equally between the six charities within three months of the appeal. Text Santa raises money for the chosen charities who distribute the much-needed funds to their bases throughout the UK. Just as importantly, Text Santa fosters long-term relationships with viewers, helping to create visibility for the charities beyond the televised appeal. -ENDS- For further information, please do not hesitate to contact Owen Devine, UTV Communications, 028 9026 2129 NOTES TO EDITORS: • Viewers will be able to make donations throughout the appeal via text; thanks to Text Santa partner Vodafone, by using their JustTextGiving service, which ensures 100% of your donation goes directly to Text Santa and allows you to add Gift Aid easily. Viewers can donate £5 by texting the word SANTA5 to 70760 or donate £10 by texting SANTA10 to 70760. You must be at least 16 years old to donate and please ask the bill payer’s permission for donating. Last date for donations is 5pm on Friday 9 January 2015. • Viewers can also donate by calling 0300 123 6060. Standard charges may apply, please check with the operator. 100% of your donation will go to the Text Santa charities. You must be at least 16 years old to donate and please ask the bill payer’s permission for donating. Last date for donations is 5pm on Friday 9 January 2015. • For further information and to donate online viewers can visit www.u.tv/textsanta Overview of 2014 charities: Go to itv.com, stv.tv or u.tv for terms & full charity details. CHARITY INFORMATION Guide Dogs There are 8,000 people in Northern Ireland who are registered blind or partially sighted. Guide Dogs cover all six counties in Northern Ireland and have around 100 guide dog owners at any time with a base in Belfast. Guide Dogs’ amazing partnerships are changing lives every day. Through the guide dogs service, buddy dogs and My Guide volunteer sighted guides, every moment of the day Guide Dogs is enabling people with sight loss get to where they want to be in life. Marie Curie Cancer Care Marie Curie, a returning charity from 2012, provides free care to people with any terminal illness in their own homes and it's nine hospices, one of which is based in Belfast. Marie Curie Cancer Care is a leading provider of end of life care in Northern Ireland. Between 2012-13, Marie Curie Nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals cared for over 2,000 people with a terminal illness as well as provide support for their families. Alzheimer’s Society By 2015, there will be 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. There is no cure but with the right support it is possible to live well with the condition. Alzheimer's Society staff and volunteers provide over 2,000 services for people affected by dementia in our communities. These range from Dementia Support Workers, providing practical advice from diagnosis onwards, to social activities like ‘Singing for the brain’, which enables people with dementia to express themselves and sing with others in a similar situation. Alzheimer’s Society improves the lives of people with dementia and their carers by helping them remain part of their community for longer. Together for Short Lives A returning charity from 2012, Together for Short Lives is the leading charity for the UK’s 49,000 children and young people with life-threatening and life- limiting conditions and all those who help, love and care for them. Together for Short Lives works with the UK’s 53 children’s hospice services and a range of other organisations so that every child, young person and their family has the best possible care and support whenever and wherever they need it. WellChild There are thousands of children and young people in the UK living with a long-term or complex health condition. WellChild is the national charity working to ensure the best possible care and support for all these children and their families wherever they are and whenever they need it. They aim to help children out of long-term hospital care, and into their own homes through the care and attention of their UK-wide team of WellChild Nurses who provide practical and emotional support. They give these families the tools and support they need to deal with their child’s illness both in the hospital and back at home once they've returned. Teenage Cancer Trust Teenage Cancer Trust is dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the seven young people aged 13 to 24 diagnosed with cancer every day. Teenage Cancer Trust funds and builds specialist wards in hospitals and provides dedicated staff, bringing young people together so they can be treated by teenage cancer experts in the best place for them. Teenage Cancer Trust wants every young person with cancer to have access to this specialist support, no matter where they live. Traditionally treated alongside children or elderly patients at the end of their lives, young people can feel extremely isolated, some never meeting another young person with cancer. Being treated alongside others their own age can make a huge difference to their whole experience. .