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It was a week that nearly broke him, but despite battling the unpredictable British weather, a drained canal, billions of blisters, serious fatigue, and territorial swans, BBC Radio 1 DJ Jordan North was not beaten. He completed his 100-mile relentless Red Nose Day row between London and Burnley – and has raised over a whopping £700,000 for Red Nose Day so far.
Viewers can watch the full story of Jordan’s valiant effort in Rowing Home with Jordan North, a special documentary for Red Nose Day which will air on Tuesday 15th March on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer at 8.30pm.
Excitement and trepidation come together in this 30 minute documentary in which the I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! star rows upstream along the country’s canals for five days to get from Little Venice, in London, to his hometown of Burnley.
The documentary sees Jordan row on average for eight hours a day, covering over 100 miles in total – the equivalent of 1,552 laps of his beloved Turf Moor. The cold winds, dark tunnels and narrow bridges tested the avid Burnley F.C fan mentally and physically. Those tuning in will see Jordan battle through five days of increasing pain, fall to the ground with exhaustion just two days in, struggle to navigate busy canals and be cheered on by crowds of supporters as he pushes himself to the limit to reach the finish line in Burnley, where his friends, family and fans all waited in anticipation to give him a true hero’s welcome home.
Jordan said: “When Comic Relief called me to ask if I’d be up for a rowing challenge to raise money for Red Nose Day, I honestly said (and believed) ‘how hard can rowing be?’. It was honestly the hardest week of my life.
“Within a few hours my bum was aching, my back was hurting, and within a few days I could feel every stroke of the oars throughout my entire body.
“Being out on the water, by yourself, trying to get through eight hours of rowing in a day is so mentally challenging. I had to keep thinking about the end goal – to raise money for Red Nose Day – and to do it for everyone who was taking the time to donate and send messages. I received so much support from BBC Radio 1 listeners, the team who were with me and the amazing people I saw along the canals. It was amazing and really helped me to keep my chin up.”
Money raised by Red Nose Day will help people in the UK and around the world live free from poverty, violence and discrimination, and support people with their mental health. Donations will also help to fund organisations providing essential support for people in Ukraine affected by the terrifying conflict and the mass displacement of people in many parts of the world.
Donations can still be made for Jordan’s efforts, simply go to: comicrelief.com/rowinghome
Watch Rowing Home with Jordan North on BBC Three and iPlayer on Tuesday 15th March at 8.30pm.
