BBC Radio Newcastle breakfast host Matt Bailey is set to embark on “The Great North Pedalo Challenge” for BBC Comic Relief.
For those unfamiliar with The Great North Pedalo Challenge, which a sneaky suspiscion tells me could be many of us, it’s the equivalent of the Great North Run, 13.1 miles, but in a pedalo. In Bailey’s case a swan pedalo, and having already completed the somewhat bizarre challenge once, he’s doubling up this time to cover 26.2 miles, or a pedalo marathon in Ancient Greek terms.
Taking place over two days (19 Mar – 20 Mar), Bailey will present his breakfast show live as normal, except he’ll be doing so while pedalling across South Marine Park’s lake, in South Shields, in his trusty pedalo.
Bailey’s previous pedalo challenge, for BBC Children in Need in 2023, took him approximately 10 hours, so having doubled up for Comic Relief this time around we can reasonably expect to him to be spending close to 24 hours aboard his trusty moulded plastic avian steed, assuming pedalo technology hasn’t advanced to supersonic levels in the intervening years.
The press release adds that the lengthy stint at sea (pond) means he’ll also be available for interview during the many hours he won’t be presenting his four-hour radio show, so we expect Pedalo Times and Rowers’ Review (incorporating Foot-Propelled Aquatic Vehicle Gazette) will be slugging it out to get their pitches in early.
Bailey currently presents the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Newcastle, Monday to Friday from 6am to10am.
