Alex Scott among stars trekking across Arctic for Comic Relief
She will be joined by Sara Davies, Vicky Pattison and Laura Whitmore.
Alex Scott, Sara Davies, Vicky Pattison and Laura Whitmore will brave freezing temperatures to trek across the Arctic in a bid to raise money for Comic Relief.
Snow Going Back: Comic Relief Vs The Arctic will see Dragons’ Den star Davies, reality TV fixture Pattison and broadcasters Scott and Whitmore head into the wilderness.
The quartet, who are the first all-female Red Nose Day celebrity challenge line-up, will start their trek at the edge of the Arctic Circle, in Tromso, Norway.
They will spend four days attempting to trek, cross-country ski and cycle to the finish line 50km away, with only eight hours of daylight each day and temperatures as low as minus 20C.
They will pitch their own tents, with food limited to dried rations and no running water, heating or electricity.
Former Lioness Scott said: “This challenge is going to be so gruelling; I’ve never done anything like it before, I’ve never even been skiing, so just being out on the snow might be a problem.
“I’m used to having that captain’s arm band on and people seeing me as a leader because I was that athlete, but this is all new so I think you might see a different side to me.
“Yes, I’ll bring the fun and keep everyone going, but I think I might need my team-mates to pull me through this one.
“I’m naturally competitive with myself, I don’t want to let anyone down, but what will really keep me going is the end goal of raising as much money as we can for Comic Relief, which will go a long way in helping change a lot of lives in the UK and around the world.”
Former I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here champion Pattison said: “Everyone assumes that because I’m from the North East, I’m going to be able to handle the cold and that’s a complete lie.
“Everyone also thinks that because I was in the jungle, I’m like Bear Grylls in a bra…but I’m not! I like my home comforts, so camping in minus 20 degrees is out of my comfort zone and it makes me a little bit nervous, but a little bit excited as well.
“There will be moments where I just want to give up, but I think what’s going to keep me going is the reason why I’m doing it.
“I was able to see first hand where the money that Comic Relief raises goes when I visited food bank and community hub Hebburn Helps, which receives food from the Comic Relief-funded organisation FareShare.
“I found volunteering there so illuminating; most of us associate poverty and hunger with something happening miles away, you don’t think it’s happening on your doorstep.
“But it is – I saw how the work of Hebburn Helps and FareShare is more important than ever. Donations to Red Nose Day are incredibly beneficial to charities like this and I saw that first hand.”
Money raised will help tackle poverty and provide food, essential healthcare or safe shelter for people in the UK and around the world.
A camera crew will capture the journey for a BBC One and iPlayer documentary to air in the lead-up to Red Nose Day, which returns on March 15.
