18th Mar 2010
The Million Pound Bike Ride: A Sport Relief Special follows Fearne Cotton, Miranda Hart, Russell Howard, Patrick Kielty, Davina McCall, Jimmy Carr and David Walliams as they attempt their non-stop, four-day cycle relay from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
The usually pampered celebs endure brutal conditions, including blizzards, snow capped mountains and temperatures as low as -15°C – and the documentary captures all the drama, from the training before they set off, through to the highs and lows of the challenge itself. It airs on BBC One tonight, Thursday 18th March, at 9pm.
Collectively cycling for nearly 82 hours, the team members struggle through extreme exhaustion, suffer dramatic falls, cuts, bruises and excruciating saddle sores as they strive to reach Land’s End and hit their target of £1 million for Sport Relief.
The documentary presents all the action from the challenge itself plus behind-the-scenes footage on the tour bus, exploring the cyclists’ hopes, fears, tears and laughter as the drama and the enormity of the challenge unfolds.
Day one of the challenge sees a tough and perilous start as the team battle through the unforgiving but amazing Scottish landscape. Comedian Miranda is the first to sustain an injury from a tumble, cutting her leg, but as the snow and cold take hold, the whole team start to realise just how tough their fundraising effort will be.
Day two sees some of the toughest terrain of the trip. Sport Relief legend David Walliams takes a severe tumble as he struggles to gain speed and momentum while tackling the notorious Kirkstone Pass – a 1,000ft climb through the heart of the Lake District.
Throughout day three the team has to dig deep in a bid to make it to Land’s End but is given some relief in the form of comedian Jimmy Carr joining for the day. With strained muscles and bruised limbs the celebrities go out one by one and put in some painful, but impressive performances. Despite nearing the end, Fearne Cotton said:
"We know that we need to try and keep something in reserve for the hills in Cornwall but to be honest I'm just running on empty now so we will just have to see how it goes."
In the last 24 hours, whilst the end is in sight, the weariness is taking its toll on the cyclists and they continue to face cruel weather conditions and extreme fatigue, causing them to fall behind schedule. But, through sheer determination and a bit of team spirit, they are determined to make it to Land’s End.
The money raised through this extraordinary challenge will be spent by Comic Relief to help vulnerable people living incredibly tough lives here in the UK and in some of the world’s poorest countries. Make sure you tune in to BBC One tonight at 9pm to watch the show – and it’s not too late to sponsor the team!
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