One of Northern Ireland’s best known young actors will be hoping to cast a magic spell over this year’s BBC Children in Need appeal on Friday in a bid to raise thousands of pounds for local projects.

Armagh-born Colin Morgan, star of the BBC’s hugely popular Saturday night drama series Merlin, was in Belfast this week to lend his support to Arts Care Northern Ireland ClownDoctors, one of the many local projects which have benefitted from funding by BBC Children in Need over the past year.

The 22-year-old Merlin star said: “It’s great to be able to come back home. For me Children in Need was always something I watched when I was growing up and it’s great that I can now be part of it and lend my own support to the appeal.

“I think that Northern Ireland ClownDoctors do a great job and work so well with children and young people and they, like many other projects across Northern Ireland, need our support.

“I hope in some way I have been able to help and would like to encourage people to donate whatever they can to this year’s Children in Need.”

A film highlighting the work of Arts Care Northern Ireland ClownDoctors will be featured along with five other projects during this year’s BBC Children in Need programme live on BBC One Northern Ireland on Friday from 7.00pm.

The five other projects to be featured on the programme are: Aspergers Youth Group, Belfast Activity Centre, Women’s Aid Fermanagh, Ulster Cancer Foundation and The PlayHouse Londonderry.

This year’s appeal in front of an audience of over 4,000 live from the King’s Hall and Balmoral Conference Centre, Belfast, presented by Stephen Nolan, Zoe Salmon and John Daly, features star performances from Lemar and The Script among others.

Viewers and those in the audience can expect one or two performances from some very special star guests.

John Daly said: “I am delighted to be part of BBC Children in Need again this year, as it’s always a great night of live entertainment and what a fantastic line-up of artists we have performing on stage.

“However this isn’t the first time I have been on stage at the King’s Hall – in fact I was the support act to Bros back in 1988 and what a night that was and I am sure Friday night is going to be even better!

“We want as many people as possible to get on the phone and call in and pledge money for this year’s appeal.

“We are all aware that times are tough and know there are people out there who will be fundraising, which is great, but there will also be people sitting at home watching the show and what we want is their money which can make a huge difference to the lives of children and young people throughout Northern Ireland, as every penny raised locally stays here, so get dialling!”