'I just kept bursting into tears' – radio presenter raises £4m for charity with tandem epic

BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James broke down in tears in Edinburgh on Friday after raising more than £4 million with his tandem challenge.

Over eight days, the 40-year-old rode a tandem 1,000km from Weymouth on the south coast of England to Murrayfield, the rugby stadium in the Scottish capital.

During the ride, he was joined in the saddle by a handful of celebrities, including 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and Prince William, the next in line to the British throne.

James did the challenge for Comic Relief, and planned to finish on Friday’s Red Nose Day. After he crossed the finish line to the sound of bagpipes, it was revealed he had raised £4,041,910 – a new record for Radio 1’s annual charity challenge.

“I can't believe it. What a beautiful day. This is unbelievable. Weymouth to Edinburgh – what a stupid idea,” James said afterwards.

“I just kept bursting into tears at every single person that was waving just then… Please, let me get off this bike.”

This is the third charity challenge the radio presenter has done in the last decade; in 2016, he completed five triathlons in five days, and then in 2018, he cycled between, and hiked up, the three highest mountains of the UK – Snowdon, Scaffell Pike and Ben Nevis.

After 2018's 'Pedal to the Peaks' feat, which raised over £1 million, James vowed he would “never again” take on a large challenge. He then revealed his tandem plan last month, dubbing it ‘Radio 1’s Longest Ride’.

“It was long and it was deliberately stupid to make a lot of noise but there was so much joy on the roadside, so many amazing people. I will never ever forget it,” he said.

"It feels amazing to complete that, to have pushed through it all, to be part of an amazing team, to have raised so much money, and to have finished.”

During the ride, James said he had to put on a “brave face” for his father, who is currently in hospital having suffered a stroke.

“It’s been such a struggle at times, everyone has got me through all of it,” he said in Edinburgh.

“The thing I will remember the most is the joy of seeing everyone. I just tried to push through the pain to get to that joy and there was so much joy on that whole journey.”

Donations can be still be made to Greg James’s tandem ride on the Comic Relief website.