Jo Brand on Friday set off on day one of her BT Sport Relief Challenge: Jo’s Hell of a Walk, a brutal ordeal which will see the 58-year-old attempt to walk an incredible 150 miles in just seven days.
With bitter cold, wind and rain for much of the first day, it was a harsh start to a long and gruelling week.
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. The challenge is sponsored by BT, a long-term supporter of Comic Relief challenges since 2009.
Setting off at 8:45am from the Humber Bridge, 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.
Jo walked approximately twenty miles on Day 1, crossing the Humber Bridge and passing through North Ferriby, Brough and finishing up in Laxton.
As Jo set off, she said: “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’. 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!”
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 that 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.
