Hugh Grant and Keira Knightley work together for more than just a movie or two. In April of 2007, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightley, Gwen Stefani, Daniel Ratcliffe (Harry Potter), Teri Hatcher and others appeared on American Idol to raise money for the Charity Projects Entertainment Fund in the “Idol Give Back” event. The money was then used for Ryan Seacrest and Adam Cowell’s trip to Kenya, and then later in the United States, while they, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson helped people, namely children, in those areas who are living in extreme poverty.

For  the April 24th and 25th shows, for every vote that was called in to Idol, the sponsors would make a charity donation. Once it was all said and done, the show brought in $75 million.  During the show, the top 6 contestants sang a number of songs that the show’s producers called “Life Anthems.” Viewers were also able to donate when they called or over the internet.

The money raised went to four different charities (Save the Children, America’s Second Harvest, Boys and Girls’ Club of America, and Children’s Health Fund) in the United States, and another three (Save The Children, UNICEF, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis & Malaria) in Africa.

Before the show, Kevin Warwick, American Idol’s Executive Producer, said, “It’s great that so many big stars have come forward to give their services for charity.” He also said he knew it would move people to give generously, and I’m sure he was satisfied - not to mention surprised - with the results.

Hopefully, American Idol will continue to use their fame and their popularity in the same way many actors and actors, like Jamie Lee Curtis, Mandy Moore, and Renee Zellweger have done. With a new season of AI almost upon us, I hope that there’s another opportunity for all of us to give back. Thanks for participating in such a great event, Hugh!

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