Haiti telethon success

Jan 23, 2010, 13:32 GMT

Madonna, Beyonce Knowles and Tom Cruise joined George Clooney in yesterday's (22.01.10) telethon to raise funds for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

The telethon - broadcast from Los Angeles, New York and London - saw more than 140 stars come together to perform and raise funds to aid relief in the Caribbean state, which has been struck by two huge earthquakes in the last two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands dead.

George said: "This is a tragedy that reaches across all borders, all boundaries. It demands our attention, our help and our compassion.

"The Haitian people need help. They need to know that they are not alone. They need to see that we still care."

While Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Coldplay, Rihanna, Sting, Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow all perfomed, addresses were made from ex-US president Bill Clinton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and Samuel L. Jackson.

Manning the telephones were some of the biggest stars in Hollywood, including director Stephen Spielberg and actors Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts, Mel Gibson, Reese Witherspoon and Penelope Cruz.

The two-hour broadcast collected money via the internet and text message as well as phone donations, and is expected to raise over $150 million.