Little Britain star David Walliams is set to swim 140 miles of the Thames, passing under Chiswick, Hammersmith, Wandsworth and Putney bridges, for Sport Relief.

His challenge will see the 40-year old swim from Lechdale in Gloucestershire to Big Ben in London, passing through Brentford, Chiswick, Hammersmith, Putney, Fulham & Wandsworth.

He will set off on September 5 and is expected to pass the banks of Hammersmith and Fulham on day seven of the eight day challenge, Sunday September 11.

“Most people think the idea of swimming in the Thames in horrifying... and it is!” says Walliams.

The comedian has already swum the 21-mile English Channel in 2006 and the 12-mile Strait of Gibraltar in 2008 for Sport Relief.

But with the risk of catching E.coli, salmonella, hepatitis or even encountering raw sewage in the Capital’s major waterway, Walliams says his latest challenge will be his most difficult.

"If there’s a lot of rainfall there’ll be a lot of sewage so I’ve had to have loads of jabs,” said Walliams.

He also warns that his stunt must not be copied:
“It’ll be relentless. It’s a huge distance so I’ll need all the support I can get. It’s really not a safe environment to swim in – people really mustn’t try this, I have an incredible team of experts to help keep me safe.

“Aside from anything else, you can’t see anything. There’s zero visibility in the water – I won’t even be able to see the end of my arm.”

Sponsor David at www.sportrelief.com/walliams and also go to The Big Splash for details on how to swim your own local river safely. We'll keep you posted on his progress, and you will also be able to track him on the website.

August 30, 2011