Famous faces from the BBC and ITV are set to battle it out in a Clash Of The Channels Boat Race for Sport Relief.
Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox, BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker, Top Gear’s Rory Reid, newsreader Sophie Raworth, Countryfile’s Ellie Harrison and Radio 1 DJ Dev Griffin are taking on the challenge for the BBC.
Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins, Towie star and presenter Ferne McCann, Coronation Street’s Nicola Thorp, Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson, Benidorm’s Jake Canuso and Love Island star Chris Hughes are hoping to find their sea legs for ITV.
The teams will be aided by rowing greats for the challenge on the high seas of Salford Quays, with double Olympic gold-medallist James Cracknell captaining the BBC side and two-time Olympic champion Helen Glover taking the helm for ITV.
Five-time Olympic gold-medallist Sir Steve Redgrave will provide expert advice to both sides ahead of the gruelling 1,200-metre race.
He said: “Training for such a synchronised team sport like rowing is going to be a huge challenge for all of them. They’ll need explosive energy, stamina and a great sense of timing, so anything could happen!
“Both teams have got world-class captains to lead them to the finish line. It’s going to be a fantastic effort with some good old-fashioned rivalry thrown in. I can’t wait to see who wins.”
Viewers will see which team is crowned champion when the race airs on BBC One on March 23 as part of Sport Relief, which this year is preceded by a week of activity from March 17.