BBC Radio 1’s Jordan North is to row home for Comic Relief

Jordan North is undertaking a gruelling challenge to raise funds for this year’s Red Nose Day by rowing from London to his hometown, Burnley.

The radio DJ is hoping his Radio 1 listeners will get behind him to support the exhausting 8 hours a day, 5 day challenge to help raise money for Comic Relief.

Jordan, who is new to rowing, will start his journey next Monday, 28 February from London and will be navigating 100 miles of the country’s demanding, cold canals, backwards in a rowing scull, heading north to his hometown of Burnley.

Having been training for the challenge since last December, Jordan says he’s really nervous about it. Admitting he didn’t realise how strong the tide was going to be, he found it difficult to remember his technique: “So I had one arm going this way and one arm going that way, then the boat was turning round, then I completely forgot how you row,” he says.

Speaking to Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain earlier, Jordan told them he’d spoken with a physio, who told him he’d be fine for the first two days but by Wednesday, Thursday, then the final day on Friday, he’ll be absolutely shattered.

“It’s going to be so gruelling, I’m under no illusions how hard it’s going to be,” Jordan told them, “On bad days, I’m like ‘I don’t know if I can do this’, but gotta go to ‘Happy Place’, all the way to Burnley and I’m going to have a good few drinks afterwards!”

After making it through I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here at the end of last year and finishing as runner-up, Jordan will sail through, well, row through this challenge!

Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day is on Friday 18 March, but Jordan sets off on his row home next Monday on BBC Radio 1 at 8am.