BBC Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing has said he will “crawl over the finish line” at MediaCity if he must to finish his charity ultra-marathon.
The broadcaster and former Made In Chelsea star set off this morning (Monday 17 March) and will take on a 150-plus mile run from London to Salford to raise money for Comic Relief.
The 36-year will attempt to run five marathons in five consecutive days, leaving the BBC headquarters in London and reaching Media City in Salford on Friday March 21.
The challenge is part of Comic Relief’s fundraising show, Red Nose Day, which returns to screens on Friday March 21.
The run will aim to raise money to help support communities by providing food, healthcare, and shelter for those who need it most.
Jamie Laing said: “This is to raise a huge amount of money for people who really need it and that’s kind of a really amazing thing to do.
“So, these next five days, if I do it, are all for those amazing people.”
Laing said that he will also be dedicating the challenge to those who might be suffering, especially from their mental health.
And ahead of the challenge he referenced his own challenges dealing with “crippling anxiety” in his 20s.
Laing said: “In my 20s I suffered with anxiety, really badly, crippling anxiety. And I kind of really feel that this run is sort of a metaphor, putting one foot in front of the other.
“If you’re feeling a certain way, if you’re feeling down or anxious or whatever it may be, just keep moving forward.”
He continued: “And so this is for me, for all those people who are suffering, who know someone who suffered, who has suffered through loads of things. So that’s the reason I’m doing it.
“I’ve spent a lot of time probably worrying about myself a lot over the past 30 odd years and this is a real moment to really not think about myself and do something for a load of other people.”
Laing is best known for appearing on the reality TV series, Made In Chelsea, which follows a group of affluent men and women as they live their lives in London.
Since leaving the series, Laing has become a presenter on BBC Radio One, started the podcast NewlyWeds with his wife and former Made In Chelsea star, Sophie Habboo, and hosts his own series titled Great Company where he interviews new guests each week – as well as being the co-founder of the confectionary company, Candy Kittens.
For the challenge, Laing admitted that he has only been training since the beginning of the new year, however, after an ‘AI search’ he discovered that he would need more than a year to train for a challenge of this scale.
He continued: “We’re going to get it done and there’s no Plan B so even if I have to crawl over the finish line, I’ll get it done.”
Red Nose Day will return on March 21 from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer, and Comic Relief will be hosted at MediaCity – with the celebration of 40 years hoping to raise as much as they can.
More information Jamie Laing’s incredible ultra-marathon challenge can be found here.
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