A-list stars appeal for tsunami victims

Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Renee Zellweger were joined by a galaxy of movie and music stars on a US TV benefit show to raise money for victims of the Asian tsunami.

The trio of stars were joined by Nicolas Cage, Clint Eastwood and Diana Ross for the telethon, which aired on US network NBC on Saturday night (15.01.05), appealing for people to donate money to help people left devastated by the disaster.

Each celebrity made a personal plea for cash to help re-build the ravaged region and all manned phones to take pledges from people all across the US.

The event was organised by Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney who told viewers: "The simple truth is this, this is about saving lives."

Clooney's sentiment was echoed by veteran actor Clint Eastwood who said: "We can either look away or we can help."

The two-hour show was opened by Madonna who recorded a version of John Lennon's classic hit 'Imagine' in London especially for the telethon.

Other artists who performed included Sir Elton John, Norah Jones, Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton - who accompanied former Pink Floyd singer Roger Walters on a pre-recorded version of 'Wish You Were Here'.

It is not yet known how much money was raised by the telethon but early predictions suggest it could be over £70million.