The Prince of Wales made a surprise appearance on BBC Radio 1 DJ Greg James's tandem bike during his Comic Relief fundraising challenge, joining him for a ride through South Yorkshire. William pedalled alongside James just north of Doncaster on the fifth day of the eight-day, 1,000km journey from Weymouth to Edinburgh.
William praised James's dedication, saying: '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.' He added that James had already raised more than £1 million for the charity.
James recounted the surreal experience, revealing that the idea had originated from a joke during a previous Radio 1 show. He described how his team's 'jaws were on the floor' when William appeared at a truck stop car park. 'That was the tightest I've gripped the handlebars for the whole week,' James said, noting the Prince was in 'sporting attire' rather than lycra.
Reflecting on the encounter, James said: 'When he left, I just sort of sat down quietly and just thought, fair play, he did not need to do that, but it's really amazing that he has sort of put his all into this challenge.' Earlier in the week, William had sent a letter wishing James luck on his ambitious challenge.
