Ex-BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Host’s Charity Challenge Heads to Ripley
Former BBC Radio 1 breakfast presenter Sara Cox will visit Ripley Town Hall as part of her 135-mile Great Northern Marathon Challenge for Children in Need. The BBC Radio 2 drivetime host is walking and running from Kielder Forest to Pudsey in Leeds to raise funds for the annual charity appeal.
Lancashire-born Cox, whose shows attract millions of listeners, will stop overnight in Ripley on her route from Northumberland to Leeds. According to the planned schedule, she is expected to reach Ripley Town Hall on Thursday, November 13, between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The community-owned Ripley Town Hall, which completed a £400,000 community buyout earlier this year, plans to open its bar and serve the celebrity host hot drinks and refreshments upon arrival.
The seasoned broadcaster and author, one of the UK’s most recognized radio voices for nearly three decades, aims to personally deliver the Children in Need mascot, Pudsey Bear, to the town of Pudsey.
“Sara Cox first rose to fame when she replaced Zoe Ball as presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show in December 1999.”
Under her leadership, Radio 1’s breakfast audience grew from 6.9 to 7.8 million listeners, setting a record for the station’s largest-ever morning audience.
The Children in Need event will take place on Friday, November 14, with BBC Radio 2 following Cox’s progress throughout the challenge.
Author’s summary
Sara Cox’s ambitious 135-mile trek from Kielder to Pudsey highlights her enduring commitment to Children in Need and to connecting communities across the North.