TV star to swim length of Thames

The comedian and panel show host has swum the English Channel for charity will be setting off from Ledbury on the Herefordshire-Gloucestershire border and will swim 140 miles over eight days to reach Big Ben in London.

He will battle powerful and unpredictable currents and undertows and will burn the equivalent of 4,400 calories every day.

As well as carefully navigating the busy river traffic, Walliams will have to deal with murky water that harbours a cocktail of bacteria such as E.coli, salmonella and hepatitis.

The BT Sport Relief Challenge: Walliams vs The Thames, which begins on September 5, will be filmed for the build up to the Sport Relief Weekend in March next year.