The recent X Factor ChildLine Ball at the Savoy raised more than £600,000.

Presenter and writer Esther Rantzen said: “It was a fantastic evening, a really thrilling way for ChildLine to celebrate this very important year, its 25th. Dermot O’ Leary was his usual charming self. Mary Byrne and Rebecca Ferguson were wonderful as they always are. And we raised a staggering amount of money, thanks to Johnny Gould and Peter Dickson. This means we can answer all the desperate children who ring ChildLine and contact us online, giving them hope, advice, and a lifeline.

“Today is also the publication date of my book Running Out Of Tears; telling the story of young adults who rang ChildLine when they were children, and how those phone calls transformed their lives. SO this is a landmark year in ChildLine’s life and in mine.”