Criticism of the BBC Gaza dispute in a "balanced, objective way", and was concerned about endorsing something that could "suggest the backing one side". Politicians such as Tony Benn broke the corporation's ban on the appeal and broadcast the Gaza appeal on BBC News, saying that "If the BBC won't broadcast the appeal, then I'm going to do it myself", and adding that "no one [working for the broadcaster] agrees with what the BBC has done". Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, protested the BBC's decision by cancelling interviews scheduled with the company; ElBaradei claimed the refusal to air the aid
Children in Need 2009 £20,309,747 by the end of the broadcast, slightly under the previous year's total of £20,991,216. During the break for the "BBC News at Ten" on BBC One, BBC Two broadcast a special edition of "Mastermind" with comedians Lucy Porter, Mark Watson, Dave Spikey and Stephen K. Amos as contestants. Lucy Porter was the eventual winner, with a "Celebrity Mastermind" record score of 35 points. As a prequel to the main televised event, a weekly television series began airing on 13 October 2009, where various celebrities attempted to travel around the world in 80 days without using air travel. Held on