More than 650,000 people tuned in to watch Andy Serkis's live reading of The Hobbit in a 12-hour stream yesterday.
The Gollum actor embarked on the 12-hour mission to read the book from cover to cover in order to raise money for charity amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Serkis had an initial target of £100,000 for the fundraiser, but that figure was increased to £250,000 before the stream even began after it was easily surpassed.
Taking to Twitter after the end of his mammoth broadcast, Serkis wrote: "Thank you ALL so much for tuning in and for supporting our frontline workers. I am truly humbled by the response!"
The fundraising total now stands at more than £280,000 with an ambition to reach £350,000 in the coming days.
Neil Wilkes
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