Smallscreen News

George Clooney to host quake telethon on MTV

Jan 15, 2010, 10:13 GMT

01/12/2010 - George Clooney, Elisabeta Canalis - © Wild1 / PR Photos

George Clooney will host a telethon to raise funds for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

The 'Up in the Air' actor will join other A-list stars including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Wyclef Jean and cyclist Lance Armstrong in making a mass appeal for aid for the stricken country, where thousands are feared dead as a result of the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake which struck on Tuesday (12.01.10).

The telethon will be held on MTV next Friday (22.01.10) and be shown across the music channel's various stations.

A spokesperson for the fundraiser said: "I can confirm that George Clooney is working with MTV Networks to plan a Haiti relief telethon for next Friday, but those are the only details we can share at the moment. It's all still coming together."

Brad and Angelina have already personally donated $1 million to help the earthquake victims on the Caribbean island.

They said in a statement: "We will work closely with our good friend Wyclef Jean to support the humanitarian efforts on the island and help those who have been injured and left without homes and shelter."

Seven times Tour De France cycling champion Lance has also donated $250,000, while Wyclef - who was born in Haitian city Croix-des-Bouquets - is sending donations from his charity www.yele.org, which he set up in 2005 to raise funds for the Caribbean country in the aftermath of hurricane Jeanne.

Other stars, including Paris Hilton, Ben Stiller and Lindsay Lohan have urged for support through their twitter pages.

It is not known if there are any plans for the George Clooney-fronted telethon to be broadcast outside of the US.