Chris Evans’ mega fundraising event, Dine & Disco, has raised a record-breaking £1.9m for The Elton John AIDS Foundation through a Virgin Radio phone auction.

Broadcast live on the show this morning, Virgin Radio auctioned off 45 pairs of tickets to see the legendary Sir Elton perform live with Rick Astley in an intimate gig at the Chewton Glen Hotel on June 26 2021.

Sir Elton joined Chris on the show this morning to unveil the auction amount and discuss what fans could look forward to. The star said that fans should expect a “new Elton John” at next year’s Dine and Disco performance.

He said: “I'm really looking forward to it because I haven't played! It'll be like the first time I’ve played...I will be looking different. I'm telling you that now it'll be a new Elton to look at.”

He discussed plans on reaching out to the likes of Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling and Burna Boy to get involved in The Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Over the years, Dine & Disco has raised over £15m for charity, with headliners including stars such as Kylie Minogue, Take That and Michael Bublè. The auction raised £1.8m with a further £100,000 coming from listeners through a £10 text draw that closes at 11:59 tonight.

There is still a chance to win a pair of tickets. Listeners can enter and support Dine & Disco by texting the word ELTON to 85525. Texts will be charged at your standard network message rate plus £10. Those who enter must be 18 or over and have the bill payers permission. The winner will be randomly selected and notified by phone on December 4 2020.