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Greg James was joined on his tandem by none of other than His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales this morning
Travelling through the South Yorkshire countryside, The Prince of Wales provided highly welcomed leg power to help pedal Greg up the scenic hills
The Prince’s visit came shortly after it was announced that Greg has now raised £927k for Comic Relief
To watch The Prince of Wales on the bike with Greg, check out Radio 1’s socials here
Today Greg travels 132 kilometres through Doncaster, Thorne, Selby and Elvington, before hopefully reaching one of his very favourite places in the UK, York
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
Tuesday 17 March: Greg James received an extraordinary royal boost today during Radio 1’s Longest Ride for Red Nose Day, as The Prince of Wales joined him on the tandem in South Yorkshire.
After cycling almost 500km across four punishing days, Greg officially reached the halfway milestone this morning - a moment that felt both celebratory and daunting, with another 500km still ahead of him. The Prince’s surprise arrival came at a crucial stage of the challenge, using his time on the saddle to talk to Greg, offer encouragement and provide solid pedal power when it was needed most.
Speaking on Greg’s challenge, HRH Prince William says: “What you’ve done is set an example about helping out. That’s the thing. It’s volunteering some of your time, putting yourself through a bit of pain at the same time, and supporting others. It’s something we do very well in this country, but we don’t really shout about it enough. This challenge helps everyone see that. And it’s an amazing team effort. Huge well done, Greg.”
On his surprise tandem buddy, Greg James says: “What an incredible surprise. I’d joked when I recorded a recent radio show with him that he was very welcome to turn up and do a stint on the tandem but I didn’t think he’d actually call my bluff. I can’t believe the impact of this daft challenge so far and it’s just beyond my wildest dreams that I’d get trusted to carry the future King around on a big long tandem. Completely bizarre but so kind of him to spend some time amplifying our message of making sure we look after the most vulnerable people in society. He didn’t have to jump on and stare at my back for 40 mins but I’m so grateful that he did. Unforgettable. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back on my bike.”
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said: “Having Prince William support Greg on the tandem today really shows how people across the country are getting involved and supporting Greg as he takes on our longest ever challenge, to raise funds for people who are struggling to eat, sleep and feel safe right now.
"We’re so thankful for every donation and for everyone lining the streets to keep Greg’s spirits high and be part of this epic endeavour. Seeing communities come together like this is exactly what Red Nose Day is all about, people helping people.”
The news came after Greg received the update that he has raised £927k for Comic Relief so far, helped by the announcement yesterday that all new donations would be matched by The Hunter Foundation up to £1 million.
Alongside regular Radio 1 check-ins, Greg’s journey is being 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(opens in new window).
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
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(opens in new window) 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).
