Olympic legends support Celebrity Boat Race for Sport Relief

March 13, 2020

Tune into tonight’s Celebrity Boat Race on BBC One, all part of a stellar evening of entertainment to raise funds for Sport Relief

As part of Sport Relief 2020, the Celebrity Boat Race is back on BBC One at 7pm tonight with newcomers Channel 4 and Sky joining BBC and ITV in a gripping head-to-head contest to decide who will win the Clash of the Channels.

With Olympic legends Helen Glover and James Cracknell advising crews on technique and, importantly, race tactics, the 1,200m distance is sure to be closely fought!

The star-studded crews are also supported by Olympic champions Zac Purchase, Mark Hunter and Phelan Hill, plus Olympic silver medallists Jess Eddie and Zoe de Toledo who have been sharing their expertise to ensure that their crew wins.

Phelan Hill said: “It’s awesome to be back in the boat again and I loved it! Hats off to all the celebs taking part, they totally embraced the rowing and really got stuck in – it certainly got very competitive.

“There was certainly that hunger to win and I was applying all the classic side-by-side coxing techniques to give us that edge.”

Crews will race on Salford Quays, known for its challenging conditions.

Sport Relief presenter Gary Lineker said: “I spend most Saturdays at Salford Quays for Match Of The Day and I can tell you it won’t be easy. It’s a windy place and if it’s against them on race day then there’s definitely some extra effort in the arms and legs required from the teams.

“I’ve got plenty of respect for all of those involved who have signed up to increase awareness of Sport Relief and work done. I wish everyone best of luck but obviously I’ll be keeping a close eye on Team BBC and their defence of their title!”

Clash of the Channels crews

Team BBC

Louise Minchin
Steve Backshall
Maya Jama
Michael Stevenson
Jay Blades
Rachel Parris

Team ITV

Matt Evers
Colson Smith
Isabel Hodgins
Dr Ranj Singh
Andrea Mclean
Romilly Weeks

Team Channel 4

Jamie Laing
Cathy Newman
Chelsee Healey
Amanda Byram
Tom Read Wilson
Ed Jackson

Team Sky

Dermot Murnaghan
Natalie Pinkham
Hayley McQueen
Lloyd Griffith
Nazaneen Ghaffar
Carl Froch

The Clash of the Channels is part of a special evening of music, entertainment and comedy with famous faces helping raise money to tackle issues such as mental health stigma, domestic abuse, homelessness and child poverty, both in the UK and around the world.