Tyler West vows to be a ‘big brother’ to struggling kids in powerful admission ahead of Children in Need
Tyler West is gearing up for the 'biggest' TV gig of his career tonight, as he is among the famous faces who are hosting this year's Children in Need.
The BBC's annual telethon is back on our screens on Friday (13 November) and the three-hour special is set to be a star-studded extravaganza that West insists you won't want to miss.
Ahead of his big gig, the presenter spoke to LADbible about why he is 'buzzing' to be a part of this year's fundraiser in both a personal and professional capacity, as Children in Need is a cause that is particularly close to his heart.
West is fronting this year's fundraising efforts live from Salford alongside Alex Jones, Mel Giedroyc, Rylan, Sara Cox - and Pudsey Bear, of course.
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Children in Need viewers have been told to expect an evening of 'dazzling performances, exclusive sketches and surprise appearances', and it's all in aid of helping struggling youngsters across the UK.
According to West, this year's programme will feature 'things that have never been done before' and 'special guests that he is absolutely going to fanboy over'.
"It will be the best night of telly that anybody could watch," the Kiss radio host, 30, told LADbible. "Without a doubt, it's the biggest job I've hosted.
"Ive hosted at the Brits, I've done Strictly Come Dancing, I've got a national breakfast show - I pinch myself that I've ticked it all off. But this one just feels super, super special.
"It feels like a massive nod to everything that I've been through before."
Hosting Children in Need is something of a full-circle moment for West, who is engaged to former Eastenders star Molly Rainford, as he described his younger self as the 'target candidate' for the telethon.
He grew up on a council estate in South London with his older brother Lewis and his mum Debbie, an NHS worker, where violence, crime and gang culture was rife.
And although he 'can't shut up' these days, he withdrew himself as a teenager and explained he hardly left his bedroom - so he knows firsthand how important it is for youngsters to have a safe space to go to.
"When I consider who I was as a kid growing up to where I am now, it is completely different," West said. "I never had my voice when I was younger. Working with Children In Need and seeing some of the projects that they support...I was the target candidate. Those youth spaces and some of the projects they work on is exactly what I needed in my area, that I didn't have."
What he did have though, is his brother Lewis to keep him on the straight and narrow - and West says his sibling was his 'guiding light'.
West's brother was his 'guiding light'
"My brother was my idol growing up, he was five years older than me," the TV star explained. "We were exposed to the same things - the same sort of violence, the same sort of gang culture and the same area.
"When you looked around our area, you were just like, there's nothing going on here - everybody's either up to no good and there's not much hope around.
"But my brother drilled it into me - 'Look, you can do that if you set your mind to it'. He was my guiding light in the situation."
West went on to become a similar source of solace for other youngsters, as he became a youth support worker in South London before he began working in showbiz.
And he hopes that he can extend this feeling of familiarity to those tuning into Children in Need tonight.
West wants to 'be a bit of a big brother to somebody that hasn't got that that figure in their life', especially due to the issues that kids are dealing with in 2026.
He told LADbible that he 'doesn't envy being a young person' growing up in this generation, as there is so much that adolescents have to deal with.
"There's this massive amount of pressure that's put on their shoulders, asking them to be a lot older than they actually are," he said. "Then also not having enough safe spaces for them to go to in and amongst the madness that's going on in the UK in a cost of living crisis...there are so many problems that they're facing.
"I think the solution is actually talking to young people and giving them a space and a voice, because that's not done enough."
Although he thinks there's still 'a lot of work to be done', West reckons that 'nights like Children In Need' are a beacon of hope for young Brits.
He's eager to get out there and 'put his stamp on' Children in Need 2026, and hopes that him hosting the show serves as a reminder that 'where you start off doesn't determine where you're going to end up'.
BBC Children in Need will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday (13 November).
Olivia Burke
