An emotional Greg James has crossed the finish line of his mammoth 1,000km bike ride challenge for Red Nose Day. The Radio 1 DJ has raised over £4 million for Comic Relief, with donations continuing to pour in. Cheering crowds greeted him at Murrayfield in Edinburgh this morning as he finished the challenge shortly after 10.30am.
Speaking to Vick Hope and Jack Saunders at the finish line, he said: “I can't believe it's done! I couldn't see, I just kept bursting into tears at everyone I saw. Please, let me get off this bike!” Greg was given support from famous faces throughout the ride, including the Prince of Wales. He began the gruelling eight-day ride in Weymouth, Dorset, on Friday.
One year on from his own Comic Relief challenge, a scantily clad Jamie Laing joined Greg James on the tandem. The former Made In Chelsea star lost a forfeit after Radio 1 listeners hit a donation target, leaving him cycling in bridal underwear. Jamie joked that putting it on made him “feel alive”, but admitted his “nips” were out in the cold.
Greg’s dad has never been far from his thoughts as he continues to put foot to pedal. Earlier this month, he revealed on social media that his dad, Alan Milward – affectionately known as “Big Al” – had suffered from a stroke, but said that he would still be undergoing his Red Nose Day challenge. He told BBC Breakfast: “My dad is very ill, he fell ill a couple of weeks ago and is still in hospital. I'm very fortunate that I'm surrounded by - I have an amazing wife, an amazing dog. My sister and my niece have come up here to Sunderland, that's my little safety net.”
Greg was forced to pull over mid-ride to take in the latest fundraising total, visibly overwhelmed by the moment. Spotting a pair of small white dogs nearby, he ran over in excitement, nearly scooping them up as he processed the news. “Thank you. I feel like my heart's gonna burst with joy at what is happening so far,” he said.
Reflecting on the emotional toll, James added: “Everything is bubbling up a little bit - I've had to put everything to one side for ages, to get ready for this. And I spoke to my mum this morning, asking if she'd heard from dad, and she said: 'He was trying to ring Producer Amy in the night', because he wanted an update on the challenge but didn't want to disturb us.” His producer Amy reassured him on air, saying: “We had a lovely chat. Alan's doing very well. And we spoke about WhatsApp voicenotes and how it works for a little bit.”
