It was the most controversial facial hair on TV, prompting viewers to complain that his scruffy whiskers left Adrian Chiles looking more like a man who slept in his car than the host of the BBC’s flagship magazine show.

In fact, so keen were they to see him return to his former clean-shaven self that fans pledged £60,000 if the 42-year-old would remove the unkempt growth – and on Friday night he capitulated, with the aid of co-presenter Christine Bleakley.

The glamorous 31-year-old slathered shaving foam over her co-host’s face before taking a pair of clippers to the beard – which BBC chiefs had also asked him to remove as it was ‘inconsistent’ with his high-profile role.


Off with his beard: Christine Bleakley gets to work on co-host Adrian Chiles's whiskers to raise £60,000

The shave was in aid of Sport Relief, and helped contribute to the record-breaking £29million raised for the charity on Friday night – £10million more than the last event in 2008. BT said it received 387,000 calls to the donation line during the live TV show.

About nine million viewers tuned in to the six-hour telethon, enjoying appearances from David Beckham, Robbie Williams and Cheryl Cole, making her first British television performance since splitting from husband Ashley.