Bradley Wiggins taking part in The Jump so he doesn't 'get fat'

Bradley Wiggins has revealed that the reason that he signed up for Channel 4's reality TV show The Jump.

Not interested in increasing his celebrity status or improving his skiing skills, Wiggins told The Mirror that he was mainly taking part in the show to stay in shape.

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"I don’t want to get fat and unfit, I’m really paranoid and conscious of that. I just don’t trust myself one bit. I’ve been institutionalised in sport since I was 12, so it’s a big change.

"I don’t want to let it go and then find myself two or three years down the line in a bit of a state.

"I have to do it for my mental health, I have to keep busy and in a routine. I’ve an obsessive nature, what-ever I do, I do to excess, so I’d rather keep good and clean."

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The 2012 Tour de France winner announced his retirement from professional cycling in December, before revealing six days later that he would be taking part in The Jump.

The show sees celebrities taking on a series of winter sports challenge, including ski jumping, downhill skiing, and bobsleigh.

However it has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent years with a number participants suffering serious injuries.