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Jamie finished day three with a surprise visit from both his wife Sophie Habboo and best friend Oliver Proudlock
Students at Loughborough University swarmed the finish line to give Jamie a real hero’s welcome after completing his longest day yet, conquering 30.5 miles
Jamie set off on his penultimate ultra-marathon this morning, running from Kegworth to Matlock
Radio 1 listeners have now raised over £510,000 for Jamie and Comic Relief
From Monday 17 March to Friday 21 March, Jamie will attempt to run across England, setting off from the home of Radio 1 in London and crossing the finish line in Salford, ahead of Red Nose Day’s night of TV
Money raised could help put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep little ones safe and help support families affected by conflict here in the UK and around the world
Red Nose Day returns on Friday 21st March
For live updates along the route, see here(opens in new window), and to support Jamie, visit: comicrelief.com/ultra
Thursday 20 March: Radio 1 DJ Jamie Laing was met with a hero’s welcome at Loughborough University last night as he completed what was undoubtedly the toughest day of his Ultra Marathon Man challenge yet. To make the moment even more special, his wife, Sophie Habboo, made an emotional surprise appearance by showing up a day ahead of schedule.
The day was filled with raw emotion, with Jamie struggling to even make it off the start line in Market Harborough. For the first time, the nation saw a broken version of the usually upbeat presenter, as exhaustion and pain took their toll. But just when things seemed at their lowest, a surprise at his final pit stop lifted Jamie’s spirits. One of his oldest and dearest friends, Oliver Proudlock, appeared out of nowhere, sending Jamie into a flood of tears. Overcome with emotion, Jamie embraced Proudlock, expressing how he’s the one person he can always count on.
Speaking to Jamie, Proudlock said “You've got this. I'm so proud of you, mate. It's a rare sight to see you cry. You've got me, I mean I cry a lot - seeing that video earlier of you two when you started welling up, I was crying on the train up here. Dude I can tell how hard it is, but you're doing it mate, you're crushing it. There have been so many times over the last fifteen years where I've been so proud of you and this right here is number one. I've never been prouder. Never.”
With that, Jamie found a renewed sense of purpose. The emotional moment gave him the strength he needed to power through and finish strong at Loughborough University, where a huge crowd of students and cheerleaders awaited him. But the surprises didn’t stop there - Jamie’s wife, Sophie, was there too, waiting to surprise him a day early after hearing about the emotional toll the challenge had taken on him. Jamie’s stepdad, business partner Ed, and Radio 1 co-hosts Vick and Jerry were also there to offer their support.
Reflecting on the day, Jamie said “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, hands down. There was a point today where we were about halfway, 25 kilometers, in and I just didn't think I had it. That was it. I was done. But it was amazing to run into the crowd at Loughborough, it was incredible – and for Oli and Soph to surprise me today, I couldn’t believe it. Everything is quite overwhelming at the moment - I’m a broken man right now and although my body is seizing up and I’m mentally drained and scared about tomorrow, somehow it is still a good feeling. We go again!”
It was revealed in Radio 1’s Going Home Show that Jamie and the Radio 1 listeners have now raised over an astonishing quarter of a million pounds for Red Nose Day. It was then revealed by Matt this morning that this total has been topped up even further, now reaching a whopping £510,000 and sending Jamie into tears. This total also means that Radio 1 Host Greg James has to run alongside him in a wedding dress tomorrow morning.
Today’s penultimate route will see Jamie run from Kegworth, through Belper and Derby, before finishing in Matlock. Jamie will also be joined by friend and former Made In Chelsea co-star JP (Josh Patterson), who will provide some much-needed moral support along the way. Radio 1's Ultra Marathon Man with Jamie Laing for Red Nose Day will be broadcast live on Radio 1 and BBC Sounds across the week, with video highlights on Radio 1’s social channels.
The money raised for Radio 1's Ultra Marathon Man with Jamie Laing for Red Nose Day will provide vital funds that could help put food on plates and roofs over heads, keep little ones safe and help support families affected by conflict here in the UK and around the world.
To support Jamie, go to comicrelief.com/ultra
ENDS
ASSETS AVAILABLE
Comic Relief selection of Jamie finishing day three and starting day four available here (opens in new window)
Wider selection of Getty photography available here (opens in new window)
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Emily McCormick
07487582054
e.mccormick@comicrelief.com
Out of hours enquiries: 0207 820 2444
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Radio 1
BBC Radio 1(opens in new window) is the UK’s No.1 youth station, targeting 15 to 29 year-olds with a distinctive mix of new music and programmes focusing on issues affecting young people. The station is the soundtrack to young people's lives in the UK and has been for over 50 years.
About Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day is back on Friday 21 March 2025.
From hip shakers, cake bakers and joke makers to Red Nose wearers, t-shirt buyers and sofa-sitting givers, it’s that time of year to come together to support people in the UK and across the world who are facing the toughest times of their lives.
This Red Nose Day, there’s lots to be excited about as we begin to celebrate Comic Relief hitting the big 4-0 in 2025. With your help over the past 40 years, we’ve raised over £1.6 billion, supported over 100 million people, and had a great time doing it. So, this March, let’s all go big to help put food on plates, roofs over heads, keep little ones safe, and support families affected by conflict. Because when we all do a little something funny for money, giving gets bigger and bigger.
There are lots of ways to take part in Red Nose Day. Visit www.comicrelief.com/rednoseday or follow @comicrelief on social media to find out more.
Red Nose Day is an initiative of Comic Relief.
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners. For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com or follow @comicrelief on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
