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“I’m dedicating this challenge to anyone who feels like they’re carrying life’s load on their own.”
BBC Radio 1’s Greg James is preparing to take on his toughest challenge yet, an extraordinary 1,000km endurance tandem cycle across the UK to raise life‑changing funds for Red Nose Day
Starting in Weymouth on Friday 13 March, Greg will cycle across England, pop into Wales, before pedalling all the way to Edinburgh on Friday 20 March ahead of Red Nose Day’s unmissable evening of entertainment
Greg will be joined on the way by Radio 1’s family of presenters, as well as some very special guests
This will be his third challenge for Comic Relief - despite proclaiming he would never ever do one again
Money raised for Red Nose Day will help people to eat, sleep safely, and live without fear. It'll help put food on tables, roofs over heads and bringing safety to those facing the scariest times of their lives
Red Nose Day is on Friday 20 March
Listeners can tune in to Radio 1’s Breakfast Show tomorrow morning (Friday 13 February) to find out how they could be in with a chance of being the only Radio 1 listener to join Greg cycling on the tandem for part of the route
For more information and to support Greg, visit: comicrelief.com/ride (opens in new window)
Thursday 12 February: He swore he was done with extreme challenges. He insisted he’d hung up the Lycra for good, and yet, Greg James is getting back in the saddle for the biggest and most daunting endurance test of his life in Radio 1’s Longest Ride for Red Nose Day - an epic 1,000km tandem cycle across the UK.
Setting off from Weymouth on Friday 13 March and riding through England and Wales before crossing the finish line in Edinburgh on Red Nose Day, Friday 20 March, Greg will spend eight relentless days pushing himself to the limit to help support people across the UK and around the world who are struggling to afford life’s most basic essentials.
Riding a tandem throughout the journey, Greg will spend at least eight hours a day in the hot seat, largely alone, clocking up huge distances with nothing but his playlist, his thoughts and the open road for company. Radio 1 friends, special guests, listeners and people whose lives have been supported by Comic Relief funded projects will hop on and join Greg throughout the week - although, it is yet to be discovered whether they will be a help or a hindrance.
Greg is no stranger to taking on such enormous feats for Comic Relief. In 2016, Greg completed five triathlons in five days and in 2018, he completed Pedal to the Peaks, in which he cycled and climbed Scafell Pike, Snowdon, and Ben Nevis - and feeling utterly broken, he proclaimed he would never take on a challenge for the charity ever again.
Greg James said: “Well, here I am again - I honestly thought I would never be so silly to say yes to Comic Relief again, but why not make it a hattrick?!
Seriously though, the world feels really overwhelming at the moment. There's a lot of things to worry about and everything is just feeling a lot, so now is the right time to come out of challenge retirement and do my bit to help. Cycling 1,000km in eight days will be brutally hard and relentlessly demanding, but that’s exactly the point. There will be moments when my legs are exhausted and i want to give up when everything hurts, but I am ready for it.
I’m dedicating this challenge to anyone who feels like they’re carrying life’s load on their own. Whether someone is struggling silently, feeling overwhelmed, or just trying to get through one difficult day after another, I want this challenge to show that none of us have to do it alone.
So come on - let’s do this!”
The challenge will kick off live from Weymouth during the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Greg James (7am–10:30am). Throughout the week, the entire Radio 1 family will get behind him, with encouragement and support from listeners and loved ones. Greg will also be joined by Radio 1 presenters throughout the week, who will accompany him along the route, keeping audiences updated with every pedal.
Audiences will be able to stay with Greg throughout the challenge as it happens. Regular updates will air across Radio 1 and Comic Relief’s social channels, while viewers at home can tune in on Morning Live for daily coverage, behind-the-scenes moments and highlights from the journey.
The mammoth route will take Greg through cities, towns and villages where Comic Relief funded partners are providing essential support to those who need it most. As well as pushing himself physically, the challenge will be a significant mental test. With long stretches spent riding alone, Greg will keep his eyes fixed on the miles ahead as he raises funds for projects supporting people facing hardship across the UK and around the world.
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “Greg taking on this ride is a remarkable show of commitment and compassion. What makes this challenge so special isn’t just the scale of it, but the message behind it - that progress is possible when people step in for one another, even for a moment.
“Across the UK and beyond, many people are facing pressure that feels unrelenting, and the support raised through this challenge will help ease that burden in very real ways. Greg’s determination, alongside the generosity of everyone backing him, will help ensure that help reaches those who need it most. We’re hugely thankful to Greg for everything he’s putting into this, and we’ll be right behind him from the first kilometre to the last.”
The money raised will help fund vital projects supporting people facing incredibly tough times, both here in the UK and around the world, helping to put food on plates, provide safe places to sleep and support people who are at risk of poverty and harm. At a time when life can feel harder than ever, this challenge is about coming together and turning collective effort into real, positive change.
Radio 1's Longest Ride with Greg James for Red Nose Day will be broadcast live across Radio 1, Morning Live and BBC Sounds with video diary highlights shared across Radio 1 and Comic Relief’s social channels, including YouTube.
Listeners can tune in to Radio 1’s Breakfast Show tomorrow morning (Friday 13 February) to find out how they could be in with a chance of being the only Radio 1 listener to join Greg cycling on the tandem for part of the route, as he attempts the ride of a lifetime.
To support Greg, go to comicrelief.com/ride (opens in new window)
