Sport Relief reveals star-studded line-up and 100-mile triathlon
It's game on as the charity campaign returns for another year
Sport Relief is back for 2020 and has revealed some of the famous faces taking part in this year's charity events, including a gruelling 100-mile triathlon on ice.
The campaign is run every other year to raise money for poor and disadvantaged people across the UK and around the world.
Gary Lineker has hosted the live event on BBC One since the first Sport Relief in 2002, and will be joined by Paddy McGuinness for the second time in 2020.
Among the sport personalities supporting this year's campaign are Rio and Kate Ferdinand, Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds, England striker Harry Kane, track and field star Jessica Ennis-Hill and gymnast Max Whitlock.
Ferdinand said: "Over the years I’ve learnt that there’s much more to sport than winning trophies; there’s a lot to gain personally from taking part. Sport has this amazing ability to bring people together and tackle really important issues like mental health stigma, which I’m really passionate about.
"Sport Relief brings all this together in a way no other charity does – with a sense of fun and humour, which we all need a bit more of. I am proud to be part of this year’s campaign and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the work donations support, to hopefully bring more attention to topics, like mental health, that we really need to keep talking about publicly."
In the launch video below, they encourage everyone to get involved no matter what your sporting ability:
One of the biggest events in this year's Sport Relief will send eight celebrities on a four-day triathlon challenge across a frozen lake in Mongolia.
The world first will see them cycle, skate and trek 100 miles across Lake Khovsgol, which freezes over during winter, to raise awareness of the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
The first celebrity to be announced for the triathlon is BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw, with the remaining seven being kept tightly under wraps for the time being.
Grimshaw said: "Super excited to announce that I’ll be doing 25 miles a day on ice in Mongolia all in aid of Sport Relief. It’s going to be really challenging both mentally and physically, but I can’t wait to get started!"
The triathlon will take place in late February and will be the subject of a one-hour documentary to be aired in the lead up to Sport Relief.
Meanwhile, schools across the country can get involved in a nationwide competition to find the most imaginative and inclusive fundraising techniques, with the chance to win a visit from Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock.
Information on how to enter can be found on the Sport Relief website, with the deadline being 28th February 2020.
There will also be Sport Relief specials for Catchpoint, Football Stars in Bad Cars and Blue Peter, as well as an episode of Bargain Hunt that pits BBC Sport presenters Manish Bhasin and John Watson against ex-Olympians Iwan Thomas and Tessa Sanderson.
Sport Relief 2020 airs on BBC One on Friday 13th March
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
