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£1 Million donation match boost for Greg James’ Red Nose Day ride as comedian Joe Lycett joins the tandem in Birmingham
Sir Thomas Hunter and The Hunter Foundation announce incredible match for every new donation up to £1 million
Comedian and friend Joe Lycett joined Greg James for the first stint of his Monday ride starting at Birmingham’s Mailbox this morning
After cycling the equivalent of half of Mount Everest over the weekend, Greg faces another 147km ahead of him today
Today Greg travels through Birmingham, Derby, Mansfield, along Sherwood Forest and aiming to reach Worksop
You can sign up for tickets to be at Greg’s finish line at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh here(opens in new window)
Money raised for Red Nose Day could help people to eat, sleep safely, and live without fear. It can help put food on tables, roofs over heads and provide safety to those facing the toughest times of their lives
Red Nose Day is on Friday 20 March
Listeners can tune in to Radio 1 and Morning Live every day to follow Greg’s progress, as well as watch the livestream here(opens in new window)
To see the full route and support Greg, visit: comicrelief.com/ride(opens in new window)
Monday 16 March: Greg James’ epic Longest Ride for Red Nose Day received a huge boost today as The Hunter Foundation has announced they will match every new donation up to £1million. The match was announced shortly after it was revealed that Greg has raised £210,215 so far just as the DJ set off on day four from Birmingham's Mailbox with comedian Joe Lycett on the back of the tandem. The extraordinary donation match marks the biggest boost of the ride so far, helping power the Radio 1 presenter towards his goal of raising life-changing funds for people facing incredibly tough times. Sir Tom Hunter, founder of The Hunter Foundation said: “I’ve been watching what Greg is doing for Comic Relief - amazing initiative at a time when the need is so great. We need the good news Greg brings and the inspiration and determination he offers, and the public truly get that. So, to help Greg with this challenge and the thousands of people this will support, The Hunter Foundation is going to match all new donations up to £1 million. We’re proud to support him and I hope everyone gets behind Greg and make a real difference to those most in need. Good luck Greg, the whole country is cheering you on." The momentum behind the challenge continues to build with four days still to go before he reaches the finish line in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Red Nose Day. Speaking at his pit stop this morning, Greg said: “The donations are honestly what’s keeping me going. Hearing the total this morning completely blew my mind, I had no idea it had climbed so high while I’ve been on the bike. It’s overwhelming in the best way. “And then to find out that The Hunter Foundation are matching every new donation up to £1 million… that’s just incredible. It means every pound people give instantly doubles, which will make a massive difference to the charities Comic Relief supports. Thank you so much to Sir Tom Hunter for such unbelievable generosity. “I can feel the support out on the road, but seeing it come through in the donations is something else entirely. I’m so grateful to everyone who’s getting behind this.” After a grueling weekend in the saddle - cycling more than 200km of punishing climbs and freezing descents, the equivalent height of over half of Mount Everest - Greg faces another exhausting 147km today, traveling through Derby, Mansfield and Sherwood Forest before aiming to finish in Worksop later this afternoon. Despite Greg beginning to feel the toll of the challenge now, the mood was lifted by Birmingham’s much loved funny man, Joe Lycett, who joined him for the first leg of the journey today. Appointing himself an ‘unofficial tour guide’, Joe pointed out Birmingham’s finest sights from the back of the tandem, as they cycled out of the city together. His energy and comedy commentary gave Greg a much‑needed vibe boost to help him push through what could be one of the toughest days of the challenge so far, both mentally and physically. After his ride, Joe Lycett said: “It was an honour to support my friend Greg on this unbelievable challenge. I’m so proud of him and the people of Birmingham and beyond for their incredible support. I was on the bike for only an hour or so, but the chafing will last a lifetime.” Greg arrived into Edgbaston Cricket Ground last night at the end of Day Three, where crowds gathered to welcome him over the finish line at a venue he often described as one of his favourite in the world. In honour of the challenge, the famous cricket ground was temporarily renamed “Gregbaston”. This morning’s ride also saw Greg joined on the road by British para-triathlete Oscar Kelly, riding alongside his guide Louise Dunne, as well as triathlete Lucy Buckingham, bringing some serious sporting inspiration to the challenge. Alongside regular Radio 1 check-ins, Greg’s journey will be livestreamed on Radio 1’s Youtube(opens in new window) channel, as well as listeners being able to sign up for exclusive behind the scenes updates from the man himself via The Longest Ride Whatsapp group. If you want to see whether Greg will be cycling near you or are simply nosey about where he is right now, you can follow his progress via the journey tracker here. And for anyone who wants to swap watching from the sofa for cheering in real life, there’s an extra twist this year: Greg’s grand finish at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on Red Nose Day will have a live audience - and you could be in it. See here(opens in new window) to find out how to get tickets. Money raised for Radio 1’s Longest Ride with Greg James for Red Nose Day could 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 live streams on Radio 1’s iPlayer and YouTube channels. To support Greg, go to comicrelief.com/ride(opens in new window)
ENDS
ASSETS AVAILABLE
Comic Relief selection of Greg starting day one of his challenge can be found here(opens in new window)
Wider selection of Getty photography can be found here(opens in new window)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Emily McCormick
07487582054
e.mccormick@comicrelief.com(opens in new window)
Out of hours enquiries: 0207 820 2444
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 (opens in new window)is the UK’s No.1 youth station, targeting 15 to 29 year-olds with a distinctive mix of new music and programmes focusing on issues affecting young people. The station is the soundtrack to young people's lives in the UK and has been for over 50 years.
About Red Nose Day
This Red Nose Day, Friday 20 March 2026, it’s time to take things a bit less seriously. It’s time to lighten up a little, take ourselves funny for money and celebrate the undeniable power of laughter.
Whether it’s running a marathon in a mankini, baking your mate’s face in cake, sharing your best worst photo, or popping on a Red Nose and going about your day – let’s turn those silly moments into serious goodness! This March, get ready to be silly, be daft, be the nation’s punchline and help raise shedloads of cash.
The money raised this Red Nose Day could help to support people with the basic essentials that everyone has the right to – food, shelter and safety.
There are lots of ways to get involved and take yourself funny for money. Visit comicrelief.com/rednoseday or follow @comicrelief on social media to find out more.
Red Nose Day is an initiative of Comic Relief..
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners.
For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window) or follow @comicrelief on Facebook(opens in new window), Instagram(opens in new window), LinkedIn(opens in new window) and TikTok (opens in new window)for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
