River swim comic battles back from bug

Bug-hit David Walliams has managed to tuck into a plate of fish and chips after the halfway point on his mammoth Thames swim.

The funnyman has been slowed on his planned eight-day journey by a nasty stomach upset which left him barely able to hold down food.

The Little Britain star said he was “learning to live” with the upset as he ploughs on with the 140-mile swim, which has raised more then £450,000.

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But he is also in constant pain from the repetitive strokes and has sores on his neck from his wetsuit which could worsen.

Walliams, who met up with pal Jimmy Carr en route to a lunchtime stop at Henley on Thames, is now on the fifth day of his journey. He passed the halfway point last night, despite struggling with his energy levels because of the bug which has caused vomiting and diarrhoea.

Thousands have turned out to cheer him on during the swim from Lechlade in Gloucestershire to London.

Walliams said today: “It’s fantastic to be half-way – although if I think for too long about the fact that I’ve got to do as many miles again, I feel even sicker than normal.

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“I’m learning to live with the stomach bug and had a more settled night. I even tucked into fish and chips, so I’m taking food on board again.

“The support from the public has really taken me by surprise - not just the money raised so far but the thousands and thousands of people who are turning out to cheer me on. I can’t tell them how much I appreciate it or how much it lifts me.”

He said it was a “lovely surprise” to see Carr, who joined him in a previous Sport Relief challenge, which involved cycling from John O’Groats to Land’s End.