BBC Radio 1 presenter Jamie Laing shared the emotional moment he learnt he had raised more than £2m for Comic Relief through his extraordinary Ultra Marathon Man challenge.
The former Made in Chelsea star ran five consecutive ultra marathons in five days – a total of 150 miles (241km), from London to Salford, where he crossed the finish line on Friday (21 March).
Laing, 36, who claimed to have never run more than 3.1 miles before taking on the challenge, was greeted at the finish line by his wife, Sophie Habboo, and his Radio 1 colleagues Greg James, Vick Hope and Jeremiah Asiamah.
In a clip shared to Laing’s Instagram page, fans were shown the moment he discovered he had raised a huge sum for charity, burying his face in his hands before triumphantly shouting “let’s go!”.
“Thank you everyone, thank you so much, thank you for digging deep, that is unbelievable,” he said. “It just means the world, I’ll never forget this… you are changing and saving lives.”
Laing’s friends, including his former Made in Chelsea co-star Ollie Proudlock, were among those sharing their support and admiration for him on Instagram.
“COME ONNNNN!!!! LET’S GOOOOO!!!” Proudlock wrote.
“JAMIEEEEEEE omg I feel I’ve had an ultramarathon of emotions watching this INCREDIBLE human achieve this superhuman feat,” author and journalist Elizabeth Day said.
“Incredible!” singer Paloma Faith said.
Laing previously said that he was dedicating the challenge to anyone who might be suffering with mental health, referencing his own challenges dealing with “crippling anxiety” in his twenties.
Red Nose Day’s 40th anniversary show was filmed in Salford, where the media personality crossed the finish line.
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He began his career as a BBC radio presenter in March last year to some controversy, as critics hit out at the broadcaster for hiring a reality star to host the prestigious slot.
Laing, whose great-grandfather founded the McVitie’s biscuit empire, told The Sunday Times that naysayers were wrong to assume he had “just swanned in” to the slot: “I’ve been trying to get this job for eight years, constantly grinding, constantly asking to do little slots,” he said.
“No one is given a job here because their mum or dad helped them into it. You have to earn your colours.”
He added: “I suppose what people see now is that I’m maybe not just a posh idiot.”
This year’s night of comedy included sketches featuring some of the BBC’s biggest shows, including Strictly Come Dancing, Gladiators, and Beyond Paradise, and was hosted by Davina McCall, Joel Dommett, Alison Hammond, Rylan Clark, Jonathan Ross and Alesha Dixon.
The programme had raised £34m for the charity by the end of the anniversary broadcast.
