Words by Smiley Team
A special one-off cycling show will have celebrities donning their lycra and fastening their helmets this summer in support of UNICEF.
Broadcast on ITV, ‘On Yer Bike’ is being spearheaded by Olympic gold medallist and Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins. It will be hosted by former international cricketer Freddie Flintoff.
“I’m thrilled ITV have commissioned a show around cycling, it’s great to be able to share my passion with so many people,” said Wiggins.
“It’s also a great opportunity to show off the glorious Yorkshire Dales – a tough route I’ve cycled many times. I can’t wait to put the celebrities through their paces and see who will shine and who needs a little more practice in the saddle.”
The 90 minute programme will see eight celebrities pedal through the rolling green landscape of rural Yorkshire. Divided into two teams, they will ride in a peloton whilst competing against the clock to cross the finish line before their rivals.
Coronation Street’s Sair Khan, Emmerdale’s Rebecca Sarker, Good Morning Britain’s Alex Beresford and actor Barney Walsh are all taking part.
Riding against them will be Love Island’s Maura Higgins, Boyzone singer Keith Duffy, comedian Zoe Lyons and actor Jo McFadden.
The show aims to raise both funds and awareness about the work of UNICEF, currently striving to save children’s lives in over 190 countries around the world.
The money raised from the show will go towards the effort to deliver 2 billion vaccinations against Covid-19, fighting malnutrition, ensuring access to healthcare and getting children back to school. Beyond addressing immediate requirements, provisions will also be made for their future needs post-pandemic.
“Everyone at UNICEF is grateful to ITV for commissioning this exciting new TV show to help children around the world,” said Steven Waugh, interim executive director at the UK Committee for UNICEF.
He added that “the Covid crisis is making life for children in the world’s poorest countries even harder” and “every pound we raise from the show is another strike against the pandemic”.
“It’s us against Covid for every child, everywhere.”
The programme will air later this summer as part of the Soccer Aid for UNICEF week on ITV and is a co-production between Crackit Productions and Initial TV, in association with Soccer Aid.
For more information on the charity’s work, visit unicef.org.
