Jo Brand sets off on 150-mile Sport Relief walking challenge

Jo Brand has set off on day one of her challenge to walk 150 miles in a week for Sport Relief this morning (Friday, January 22).
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Jan 2016, 14:20 BST
Updated 22nd Jan 2016, 14:39 BST

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Jo Brand 'feels the heavy hand of history upon her toenails' as she sets off of her BT Sport Relief ChallengeJo Brand 'feels the heavy hand of history upon her toenails' as she sets off of her BT Sport Relief Challenge
Jo Brand 'feels the heavy hand of history upon her toenails' as she sets off of her BT Sport Relief Challenge

The 58-year-old comedian from Hastings started her BT Sport Relief Challenge: Jo’s Hell of a Walk from Hull at 8.45am.

The challenge will see her walk east to west right across the width of the country, roughly following the Trans Pennine Trail, finishing in Liverpool next Thursday.

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“I can feel the hand of history upon my toenails! I’m not looking forward to this at all. It’s such a long way and I’m not fit, I’m not athletic, and my walking style is best described as ‘fat old woman’,” Jo said as she set off.

“To be honest what I’m really worried about at this stage is that I might fall over or need the loo after five minutes!”

At the Humber Bridge starting point, Jo was joined by members of the public, including Great British Bake Off champion of 2014 Nancy Birtwhistle, who lives in the area, to wish her luck and see her off.

She will walk approximately twenty miles today, crossing the Humber Bridge and passing through North Ferriby, Brough and finishing up in Laxton.

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Starting out her career as a psychiatric nurse, Jo has spent many years since her rise to fame raising awareness about mental health issues.

So it is fitting that during her journey she will highlight the work Sport Relief does around mental health and issues that impact women and girls across the UK and the world’s poorest communities.

Jo will be joined by famous friends and people helped by funded Sport Relief projects along the route to spur her on.

Jo needs the public’s support to keep her going as she is taking one Hell of a Walk, so to sponser her visit www.sportrelief.com/sponsorjo.

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All the ups and downs of Jo’s challenge will be captured for a BBC documentary, to be broadcast in the run up to Sport Relief Weekend, which is taking place from Friday, March 18, to Sunday, March 20.

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Related topics:HastingsHullHumber BridgeLiverpool