TV star puts up £1m to help housing charity

The Royle Family star dug deep to ensure 15 more apartments could be built at Ronald McDonald House in Liverpool.

Despite being one of the biggest of its kind in Europe, the accommodation is full every night with families of patients at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

The comic actor said: "The house provides a vital lifeline to parents and families who come to hospital with their critically ill children and these new apartments will be able to give them some much needed support during an incredibly difficult time."

Jan Thomas, the charity's house director, said: "The apartments will provide our families with privacy, normality, and most importantly their own front door."

Tomlinson's cheque will pay for most of the 1.5m development. The house currently has 69 bedrooms and the extension will provide accommodation for 84 families.