BBC star Paddy McGuinness will be cycling through Lanarkshire in November as he takes on an epic 300-mile fundraising adventure – on a Raleigh Chopper.
The broadcaster is taking on the five-day ultra endurance cycle from Wrexham to Glasgow to raise funds for Children in Need, and local residents will be encouraged to show their support along the three nations route and to take on similar wheeled challenges to boost the charity total.
He will be sharing his progress throughout with live updates on Radio 2 and its social media accounts, while there will also be support from the station’s presenters, listeners and appearances by “a host of special guests”.
Paddy’s specific route through Lanarkshire is still to be confirmed, with organisers saying “more information will be given out at the start of each day [of] the challenge”.
The endurance challenge begins in Wales and will pass then through eight counties, finally reaching Lanarkshire en route to the finishing line in Glasgow on November 15, the day of the annual televised appeal programme.
He will be pedalling on a modified Raleigh Chopper bike customised for Children in Need, and a TV crew following him for a behind-the-scenes documentary to be broadcast on BBC One later in November.
BBC organisers say: “He’ll be passing through and stopping off at villages and towns along the way to meet as many Radio 2 listeners as possible as they cheer him on and help him to raise much-needed funds that will help make life lighter for children across the UK.
“Listeners are encouraged to get behind Paddy with their own wheel-based fundraising challenges – anyone can choose to take part by cycling, scooting, go-karting, roller skating or blading.
“The need has never been greater as right now BBC Children in Need is only able to help one in eight of the organisations who ask for money.”
Paddy said: “Cycling from Wrexham to Glasgow is 300 miles, eight counties and three nations”; and referencing his catchphrase from game show Take Me Out, he added: “‘No likey, no bikey’ just isn’t an option!
“As a kid, I didn’t have much and used to be really jealous of my mates riding around on those bikes, so I’m really honoured to support BBC Children in Need by getting pedaling to raise as much money as possible for the charity.”
His endurance challenge comes a year after Radio 2 colleague Vernon Kay raised more than £6 million with an “ultra-ultra-marathon” of 115 miles from Leicester to Bolton, and follows previous 24-hour challenges including Scott Mills’ treadmill challenge and a kitchen disco danceathon by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Head of Radio 2 Helen Thomas said: “This is one man attempting to do an extraordinary challenge, not least as he’ll be on a bike which is designed for style, not endurance cycling!
“We can only imagine how hard it is going to be for Paddy to cycle from Wales into England then onto Scotland over five days, so I’d like to thank him for agreeing to take on this mammoth challenge and know Radio 2 listeners will do all they can to support him along the way.”
Children in Need chief executive Simon Antrobus added: “Paddy is taking on an extraordinary challenge which will help benefit the lives of children and young people across the country who are facing significant challenges.
“Right now, the need is greater than ever, but with the support of the public we can continue to lighten the load for hundreds of thousands of children across the UK when they need it most, and we’re encouraging Radio 2 listeners across the country to support Paddy by taking on their own fundraising challenge too.”
* Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!